"I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night...."

Bonjour mes amies, hope you are all having an immense week. I am finally able to press pause on the hectic craziness that has been my week so far. My birthday however, was absolutely wonderful, and I got starstruck when I saw legendary sixities supermodel Twiggy, who is in my 'J'adore' column, whilst I was going to the theatre to see Les Misérables, which was absolument incroyable). Anyways now I am a fully fledged 18 year old adult and am awaiting the arrival of my first wrinkle and grey hair (any day now), I have just enough breathing space to be able to write you a lovely long post.

It's an issue we've discussed a few times on the blog and I'm sure we undoubtedly will again because it is the elephant in the fashionably decorated room that just will.not.go.away. regardless of how much we all want it to. And believe me, we want it to. To be perfectly honest darlings, I hate talking and hearing about it and I'm bored of the whole thing, i'm sure you are too which is why I rarely post anything about it. But every once in a while I read or hear something that still provokes a strong enough reaction in me to want to rant to you guys. Case in point, an online article on British Fashion Magazine Grazia's website about comments French blogger extraordinaire Garance Doré made regarding the use of plus size models in the industry.

You can see the full article here but the gist of it is the journalist criticizing Garance (right) as being "more unpalatable than an ill-fitting kaftan top with her rigid views" over these comments she made to an Austrailian magazine:

"I think it's too much and almost naive of the fashion industry, because it would be nice in a few years that the idea of different body shapes is normal, but right now it's not quite there yet."

"It should not be such a big deal to show women with different bodies, but sometimes it's treated like a bit of joke, or for shock, like the plus sized models on the runway (Mark Fast) in the UK fashion week". 

"It's not such a good thing to show plus size because it's not really physically healthy and not always flattering to fashion."

You may see something completely different and agree with the writer but personally I don't have that much of a problem with what she said. At all. Not only is she entitled to her opinion, but she does have a point; being overweight, (which is often what the plus sized models that are used are, rather than just being curvy and healthy) is just as unhealthy as the underweight norm in the industry, and sad as it is, most clothes do look better on the runway on 'clothes hanger' models. And whilst I think it may have come out a little more insenstive than intended (she is French after all), I do see where she is coming from on her other points as well.

A few months ago when I did a post about V Magazine's 'Size Issue' (right) where they used only plus-sized models, the overwhelming majority of you agreed with me that it was nothing more than a gimmick that wouldn't change anything and that rather than being a compliment was actually offensive to curvy girls everywhere.

I also don't think Garance has anything against curvier girls as the journalist insinuates she does, "Really Garance, no one is going to make you put fat girls in your work, and as for all the others, they’re not doing you any harm are they?" I just think she is being realistic, brutally honest and incredibly aware of the workings of the industry she loves. If only the same could be said for Naomi.

The hypocrisy of the journalist Naomi Atwood is shocking; slating Garance Doré in one article for saying plus size models don't always work in fashion, which if we're honest is (not always but often) true, and in another article, Marc Jacobs - Size Hero?, which I almost wrote about but (just about) restrained myself, she's praising Marc Jacobs (the love of my life who can do absolutely no wrong) for using much larger girls on his catwalk and congratulating him for being a trendsetter who is championing the return of big girls with curves. Um. Is it just me who doesn't see any curves in the photos she used (below) to demonstrate her point? Marc is undeniably a style hero, that's a given, but a 'Size Hero', as his biggest fan even i'm not so sure...

These pictures to me, if anything, confirm exactly what Garance was saying. Yes, it will be nice even normal to one day have many different body-types in the industry, but we're not there yet, and we won't be for a very very very long time. We're moving at a glacial pace and such a huge change that is so crucial to an industry based on superficial, external beauty, simply cannot, or more to the point, will not be rushed. And the sooner the industry is honest about it's prejudices and reluctance as Garance was, the sooner change will occur.

So what do you think darlings, does Garance have a point or are you pro-Plus at all costs?

Stay safe and chic mes chéries,

English Rose x