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Madrid bans too-thin models from catwalk

 

Fri Sep 8, 10:30 AM ET

 

MADRID (AFP) - Excessively skinny fashion models will be barred from a major Madrid fashion show later this month for fear they could send the wrong message to young Spanish girls, local media reported.

 

Madrid's regional government, which is co-financing the Pasarela Cibeles, has vetoed around a third of the models who took part in last year's show because they weigh too little.

 

The authorities collaborated with a Spanish health organisation to come up with a minumum body mass -- a height-weight ratio -- of 18 for the models.

 

Spanish daily ABC said it was the first time such restrictions had been imposed on a fashion show, although a recent wedding dress exhibition in Barcelona banned fashion models who took a dress size below 38 (British size 10, US size eight).

 

Several models at last year's show provoked a row when they claimed their careers would be under threat if they put on weight.

 

Organisers said they wanted to "help ensure public opinion does not associate fashion, and fashion shows in particular, with an increase in anorexia, a disease which, along with bulimia, is considered ... as a mental and behavioural problem".

 

The event will take place on September 18-22

smart move.

Excellent

BTW, if they banned too fat models, would that be ok? There are health risks for being too fat as well.

BTW, if they banned too fat models, would that be ok? There are health risks for being too fat as well.

I've never seen too fat models.

 

But if I ever see a morbily obese woman modeling I would think the same things.

 

Basically, though, I doubt that would happen. The reason models are so thin is because the clothes just hang on them, so you can really just see the clothes and not the body/shape underneath. Models are meant to be human coat hangers, so it wouldn't make sense to have a bigger person model high fashion.

 

(Since this is fashion week I'm assuming everyone will be showing couture type clothing, not print models which is an entirely different type of model)

It would be largly symbolic, but if the goal is to encourage a healthy body imagine, why not cover both ends?

 

Great turn of a phrase, a human coat hanger.

and I was so looking forward to watching another bunch of castrated, lanky, long haired, 9 year old boys parade around in make up and women's clothes.