Washington Post fashion editor Robin Givhan recently wrote an article addressing the hubbub over Karl Lagerfeld’s statements about round women and the idealization of thin models in general. She surmises that thin is ‘in’ because fashion represents a fantasy world where the exalted is the exact opposite of our boring reality : an increasingly obese populace.

She says, “All those emaciated models have to be seen against the backdrop of a population that is overwhelmingly afflicted with obesity…The fatter the general population, the thinner the idealized woman. And for all the public posturing and blogging, the only force that stopped people from buying clothes and magazines was the souring economy, not righteous indignation over skinny models.” She concludes the piece saying, “Maybe all of the demands that editors and photographers just use heavier models have been misguided. Because before fashion models will get any bigger, people in general will just have to get smaller.”
Givhan brings up a good point, but I must ask you guys: when you see a designer, like Karl Lagerfeld, who makes no pains to diversify his runways and speaks out regularly against ’round women,’ are you less inclined to purchase Chanel? Will you hesitate to buy that hot Chanel lipstick, nail polish, or bag because you feel the brand doesn’t ‘represent’ you? Fashion is at its base exclusionary, but when it comes to consumers, I would hope all designers would be more interested in catering to the mass market, not just a tiny sliver of stick thin women. The more relatable, the better.
What do you think?
Oh and read the rest of Givhan’s article here.