Fashion Freakism

She looks to be a very pretty plus-size girl. Pointing and LAUGHING? Jeez.

The woman in black is prettier than the woman in white... one looks sexy, the other looks skeletal. The one in black thgouh... her make-up is a little severe. Would have been nice if she'd gotten a slightly more natural treatment.

I almost wonder whether it's an intentional stab at the clothes making the woman versus woman making the clothes idea...

Interesting show concept though. Return of the rubenesque?

she looks stunning!( the one in black) go girls!!

Back in the day, the whole reason they had fashion models so dang thin was so they wouldn't "take the attention off the clothes". So basically, they're clothes hangers. I think they should have actual people modeling the clothes so you can see what they'd look like on a woman who's say, 5'4" instead of 6'0". And with an actual butt to fill in the pants with. I definitely think the woman in the black dress looks much better than the skeletal woman in the white.

I love this pic of this volupturous model...she looks very beauutiful!!
Isn't it remarkable how simple it is...but if major model companies were to invest a little into using bigger models, the changes we would see across the world in relation to self image in young girls and perhaps even the anorexia rate would drop.
When I look at this picture, suddenly I don't feel quite as in adequatre and I feel empowered to be as a women should be - with plenty of curves, childbearing hips, etc..
Love your blog

Now THAT'S a woman
Thank you John Galliano! That is old school. Its nice to see a woman with some meat on her. I'm sitting in class right now, and as look around at the girls surrounding me (though thankfully not watching me), I see thin little sticks who look like they're about to break. No muscle tone whatsoever. These girls look like they haven't eaten more than a Q-Tip (don't ask, I saw it on a cartoon).

I agree that the typical high-fashion model is correctly described as a “sick-looking hollowed-eyed waif.” Unfortunately though, high-fashion models have the highest status among female models, which results in a negative impact on several women.

Since I do not see above an explanation of why high-fashion models typically look the way they do, I am going to mention it. The answer as to why fashion models are so skinny lies in putting together some observations: fashion models are typically young, very skinny, and have masculine faces and masculinized physique proportions (see here and here); top-ranked fashion designers are mostly gay; and gays disproportionately find the physique of adolescent boys aesthetically appealing. Now, this is politically incorrect thought, but criticisms of this notion are addressed here for those who are interested.

I think the women in the black looks dicusting, the women in white looks alot more attractive, you should compare the women in white to someone like Beyonce Knowels or JLO THEY ARE ALOT MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN BOTH OF THEM!!!!!!

They are both unhealthy. Models used to be beautiful and thin, but didn't look like they were about to die - I'm talking about Iman's heyday, for example. They should go back to that.

the girl in the white i beautiful full figures like that shouldnt be encouraged its unhealthy and disgusting

Erik, your post makes sense. I have always wondered why the models look so masculine. I always just thought they were going for the tall thin women, so they ignored how ugly their faces were. But more and more, it does seem like the designers just like to design clothes for flat-chested, butt-less, thigh-less, 6'-tall women. I think if most men designed fashion, they'd pick models that look like real women, hips and butt and chest and all.

It seems like they worked harder on making the skinny girl in white look good than they did the larger woman in black. That's probably because the point wasn't for the fat girl to look good, it was for her to be there and fat and "how edgy". Without, of course, taking any responsibility for that edginess by treating her the way they would any other model. Her hair doesn't look smooth, she has NO body shimmer on as models who are showing any skin usually do, and her nails aren't done. She's fat, and that's the point. Treating her like everyone else by recognizing that she CAN be beautiful was not on the menu. Good job missing your own lesson, Galliano.

I like your opinion and how you word it all and how you compare it to a circus, but it still amuses me that while she's a very pretty plus sized model that she still where's a corset to either make herself look thinner or give her body more of an absolute shape. Although I'm not positive she's wearing a corset she does certainly appear to be wearing one.

Erik...my mother always said this to me..does that now validate what she's be telling me for years...lol..
Its a sad fact! but true...

I think its important that any woman no matter her size, goes to the effort to groom herself well and I don't mean that she has to go through an ellaborate routine... but dress herself with some self respect and smile from the inside and thats the beauty that matters.

Body image is a fragile state of mind for each person. The girl in the Black dress found a dress to flatter her figure,yet the strain on her face gives me the impression that trying to look good for someone as large as she is, is not easy. Where as the younger trimmer model,does not need to try so hard to look good.
yet each women can go the extra mile to look normal.

I thought both women were unattractive. Skinny girl looks ill, and I feel she is a horrible role model for young girls and women alike. On the other hand, being overweight is not something to celebrate either. Not for it's looks, but for health reasons, just like the skinny girl. Complications due to both can and do cause premature death and disability. Fat is okay, a little skinny is okay, but the extremes are not. And I think the focus on the looks of both is unfortunate. It's really a matter of health. Some folks like rubenesque and some like a little skinny. To each their own. But extremism in any form is the grotesque thing. Bravo to Galliano for showing this. And I really liked the comment regarding manly girls. It explained a lot, and I hadn't thought of it before. I have a broad sense of beauty. Working with your assets leads to beauty of many different types. It's the attitude to accent that alters perceptions. Again, bravo to Galliano.

I am naturally slim and some of the time i wonder if this idea about 'big is better' is actually having begative repurcutions on less built up people. We are not all 'sick' we are just naturally thin i think that sometimes people forget that you don't necessarily have to starve yourself to be a skinny girl. i agree with you that it is unfair that larger people tend not to get a look in when it comes to fashion but at the end of the dayy you want to look at something that is aesthetically pleasing and that has changed over the years. Look back in history and there was an obcession with larger girls, now it is the opposite, the way i see it we are taking it in turns.

the woman in black looks disgusting. skinny is beautiful, not matter what.

It is very strange, other people's reactions to that small article about models. Some people think that the larger woman looks disgusting and the smaller woman in white looks pretty, or the other way around. Neither look healthy, and personally, I believe models should be healthy people, who are not too thin, but are also not overweight. But really, this is all about body image. What is beauty anyway? Beauty to me, is being able to smile at everything you see, to take life as it comes, to be able to love every living thing, and to be comfortable with yourself, no matter how you look. It doesn't matter your body shape, because you are who you are and you are beautiful or handsome, if you are a kind, thoughtful person. Not many people today are truly beautiful.

Some people just naturally look like the girl in the white! I bet they want to be like everyone else, but some have a fast metabilism!!!!! so think before you make fun of some models!

Just wanted to tell everyone that runway models are the size they are because they can wear any colour and any style of clothing. Some fabrics aswell can make a person appear larger than they actually are. Designers are just trying to promote and sell theyre designs and no one wants to buy anything when in your head your saying "god her ass looks fat in that" right?
I love Galliano's work I think he's an amazing designer, and I'm sure he never intended to have a larger model there to be laughed at. Can you honestly see a 6" 115ib model being able to carry off a corset? Fashion is a form of art and you do what you need to do to make it beautifull.
One last thing typically there are more successful men on the runway than women, but you also have to remeber for clothing lines there is normally more than one designer on board.

I had always wondered if that was true about fashion and gay men. I had a yoga teacher tell me that a few years ago. It really made me think...for one thing, when I was extremely sick, i.e. about 20 percent under normal for my height, my hairdresser (gay, I know that's a total cliche but he was) just GUSHED over me and kept saying how "darling" and "petite" I was.
I dunno though, I think it goes a little far saying that gay men like the look of prepubescent boys, because it's kind of like the assumption that some people make that gay men are child molester types who enjoy young boys. I know that's not true, goodness.
I also have a gay cousin who appreciates full-figured women. Maybe it's an individual thing?

I, personally, prefer to beleive that designs should be made to compliment each body type. Endomorph, Ectomorph and Mesomorph. Each shape has it's own features that can not be easily controlled and each of thos body type should be celebrated for their own wonderful features. I mean, Endomorphs have their smooth skin and copious curves. Ectomorphs have their tall, lanky, bodies and graceful physiques. Mesomorphs have their toned shapes that could easily model sportswear as well as a nice summer dress. Why can't the fashion industry just apply to thos features instead of only taking the one and ignoring the others? I makes no sense.

Is there really an art in creating a dress that looks good on a tall, thin woman? Surely the art is in dressing women of all shapes and (plus) sizes!?

Although I think "normal" (not average aka overweight but normal as in ideal and healthy) weight models would be most appropriate, I would take the rail thin models over the plus sized ones any day.
I find something frustratingly beautiful about many of them. It's not a matter of clothes fitting them as much as it is them being canvases for textile art.
However, realistically, I can think of many "plus size" models who are much more conventionally attractive than the waifish ones.

Bravo to John!!!!
Its about time the 'fashion world' was stirred back into reality.
There is only a small minority of people who are like or are supermodels (ghastly thin). They should stop this madness of SKELETON BEAUTY. It really influences teenage girls. Its about time we all took self confidence in ourselves no matter what we look like!
'Tis Personality to judge Beauty'

Men Subconsciously find curvyer women more attractive coz they got hips wide enough to pop a baby an keep the circle of life spinning lol just like us women not only Consciously but Subconsciously find musculer men more attractive coz they have they ability to supply food & protect us an our babys....so weather thos rules apply to you or not - bootylishus women are more healthy and look more apealing to the eye then sickly looking thin women....... a healthy woman makes a healthy buba-
and God knows we need some more of those rather then the poor sick darlings which are kept in the hospatil 4 most of their lives.

After reading the write up in the Washington Post, I can only assume that Galliano's intention was not to reflect on the normalcy of his art and its portrayal by the masses (I find it hard to use the words "John Galliano" and "normal" in the same sentence) but rather to create an atmosphere that pairs outrageous creations with outrageous people. Think of it as abstract art on an even more abstract frame. In this context, the discussion is pointless - he put on a show, that's all.

I think that the woman in black is beautiful. No matter what bodyshape you have, if you are beautiful, it shows. The woman in the white may be some peoples idea of beautiful, but to me she looks anorexic. I am average weight for a five foot girl, and even though I am not anorexic, I am beautiful.

i think the woman in white looks pretty and most girls nowadays ahould be as skinny as her. people who are actually overweight call themselves slim nowadays when really they are F-A-T. skinny is just prettier but many people find that hard to accept coz they hav huge asses nd thighs

I liked the models in the golden and green gowns at Galliano's show more; they're also plus-sized but the looks have more glamour than the one in black. The Goth-chick look has been passé for years now.

I'm a fat woman, I won't lie about it, but that doesn't mean I'm ugly OR unhealthy. I can find skinny women attrctive in the aesthetic sense as long as it's natural, but the idealization of heroin/crack-using AIDS/tuberculosis thinness is just SICK.

I think both women are beautiful in their own way. Comparing a slim person to a large person is like comparing apples to oranges. Everyone's idea of beauty is different. I am delighted to see a woman with a rubenesque figure on the catwalk. The Lady in Black is beautiful,powerful,& utterly captivating. She can be a great inspiration to those of us who do not fit into the typical idea of beauty. Just think how boring the world would be if everyone looked alike! Variety is definately the spice of life & true beauty can be found everywhere, if you open your heart, eyes, & mind to it!
Blessings!

rachel said:
the woman in black looks disgusting. skinny is beautiful, not matter what.[...]

emma said:
i think the woman in white looks pretty and most girls nowadays ahould be as skinny as her. people who are actually overweight call themselves slim nowadays when really they are F-A-T. skinny is just prettier but many people find that hard to accept coz they hav huge asses nd thighs[...]

Oh please, the model in white is not any prettier or healthier looking than the one in black. The one in black needs to lose weight and the one in white needs to gain weight.

I believe in the old adage, "all things in moderation." Neither extreme (whether skeletal or obese) is particularly pleasing to the discerning eye.

That would be an insult to individuals who are naturally thin or fat. John Galliano may have designed these stunning gowns on those tow women but he should know that would have hurt the feelings of born ectomorphs and endomorphs. He could have not showcased these women as freaks in the first place, once that would have hurt the round woman's feelings and two what if the woman in white was naturally lanky and that would have hurt her feelings as well. Or that would insult both parties.

I beg to differ! Just becasue you have fat on your body does NOT make someone UNHEALTHY! Why is it that people assume that becasue someone is "bigger" than they are that there are health issues? I am a "fat" girl myself, my hubby is 5 ft 10 weighs 145 lbs. Who is the one on all of the meds? NOT ME! I am in perfect health. I choose to be big. I would MUCH rather have extra meat on my bones than NONE at all. KUDOS to the people who DIDNT laugh and who are FULLY supporting the big girl who was STRONG enough to walk that runway! YOU GO GIRL!

el said:
the girl in the white i beautiful full figures like that shouldnt be encouraged its unhealthy and disgusting [...]

emma said:
i think the woman in white looks pretty and most girls nowadays ahould be as skinny as her. people who are actually overweight call themselves slim nowadays when really they are F-A-T. skinny is just prettier but many people find that hard to accept coz they hav huge asses nd thighs[...]

Christina;
While I don't think everyone ought to look like the woman in the white dress (some simply cannot, genetically, medically, or otherwise), I do think she is pretty, and I would rather look like her. She's elegant. There are more sections of the world than are represented here.

I think the real thing I'm noticing about models is; if they're skinny, they're really very skinny, and if they're not skinny, they're overweight or near it.
How about showing a model or two with a nice, average BMI of 21 or thereabouts?

Why did Emma post twice saying both girls looked good? She's says opposite things about them.