They can sign all the charters they want, I'll believe it when I see it.

Why make progress when you can pretend to make progress?

FUck the french. They sent Ali Michaels home for being too fat or whatever and girl is skinny as can be.
BULL.SHIT.

"awareness-raising"

more annoying than "raising awareness"

who's the official scorekeeper of 'awareness'? how does one know when it's been raised?

Signing healthy body image charters is the new black.

How are they going to impose this? Make everyone get on a scale?

Because there are ways of fudging on the scale. Trust.

@OSallyTheAlleyCat: There's an alarm and confetti.

@hortense: I meant "enforce", not "impose". I want caffeine but now I'm all freaked out by slugs and such.

So they'll still be underweight, but everyone will be aware of it. That will come in handy when the next 18 year old drops dead of a heart attack.

"Mod-dells will no long-er be skinnee as the toooothpeeek... a pen-cil will do juuuusssttt fine!"

[END BAD FRENCH ACCENT]

I didn't know that bullshit PR spin was now being called "awareness-raising." You crazy kids today! I just can't keep up!

@AnderBobo: Yeah, exactly. Charters my derriere. It's going to be the same anorexic freakshow as it's always been.

@hatepaperdoll: You can have a BMI of 18 and still be healthy. Just like you can have a BMI that says 'obese' and still be healthy.

ils pensent que 18 constitue l'obesité

OR, here is a crazy idea... how about instead of making up 47 charters, and having panels and discussions... the designers just start.... CASTING BIGGER MODELS. Omg, it isn't like there is some casting rule... the designers are solely responsible for their shows. If they are so about getting rid of the anorexic look then they should be the change they wish to see. If they can talk the talk then walk the walk.

@BDJ-Team feat. Panda T:

it's a lot like raising awareness, only more meaningful. you know, because of the hyphen.

@nodoubt9203 (Chile con queso en una PANOCHA): Show off!

Daaang... I saw this picture and seriously thought that poor model's head was on backwards.

@hortense: I'm sure it will be overseen by a body of impeccable judgment. Perhaps the International Olympic Committee can assist.

@funnyface: True, but I'd bet an entire season's worth of couture that not a single woman on the runway has a BMI as high as 18.

Is it just me, or does it seem sometimes that designers hate women anyway? They promote bodies that have very little womanliness to them to begin with (or really, any sexuality, just androgynousness), a large portion of the time the fashions themselves are ridiculous freakish cartoonish things (yes, I know runway fashion is exagerrated), to wear the shoes is a death-defying feat, etc. I mean, really, a BMI of 18? That's SUCH an improvement.

@lodelasea: Srsly. It's fucking scary.

Whatever, France. Isn't Paris Fashion Week supposedly the most notoriously racist/picky about models' weight?

Do they have women in France that have a BMI of at least 18?

@Hamsterpants: They hates the womens.

I'd like to see them trot out a model any designer would let walk their runways that meet the BMI requirement.

she doesn't have her head on backwards, she just has a face shaved into her hair like this guy! That's the only possible explanation. It's a rear view.

And again, BMI is not like, a hard and fast thing. It's a statistical model used to help doctors and patients make decisions about tests and risks. People with X BMI are more likely to have X problems, thus precautions should be taken and things should be monitored. People with X BMI also might never develop X problems and could be healthy as a horse.

@Hamsterpants: I think a lot of designers get so caught up in the CLOTHES and the DESIGN that they forget they're meant to be worn by human beings. A lot of them fancy themselves artists--which they are, in a way, but I think a lot of them forget that a huge part of their creations is the actual fucking body that goes inside the design. I'm getting the idea that fashion design mentors like Tim Gunn--who, when commenting on the wearability of the designers' work, is generally greeted with flummoxed frowns and babbling jargon-riddled cries of protest--are few and far-between at many design schools. Creating flattering, wearable designs rarely gets you attention in the fashion world, anyway--it's being the enfant terrible with ridiculous designs. See: Deacon, Giles.

@NefariousNewt: Oh dear, a pencil is too "curvy" and round. How 'bout a q-tip?

@hatepaperdoll: Her death will be "information-sharing," for the children.

@OSallyTheAlleyCat:

"Raising awareness" is almost as bad as "irregardless"

@funnyface: Best picture ever!

I'm sorry, but the only way things can change is if the designers change. Only if they start making size 8 sample sizes and demand size 8 models, would we see healthier bodies on the runways. As for Anna Wintour not liking it, well, if all the designers use larger girls, Anna will either have to not use any models (i.e. use some other way to present clothes) or not have a magazine.

@PetiteGal: This implies that anything below size 8 is unhealthy, which is untrue.

@funnyface: My comment was "18 year old" not "BMI of 18". .
My fictional 18 year old is obviously not heathly, since she is dropping dead.

@hortense: Yeah, I picture an extremely tall girl in a trench coat climbing on the scale, and the designer opening the coat to reveal one model sitting on another model's shoulders, like in a cartoon.

@nodoubt9203 (Chile con queso en una PANOCHA):

Ils pensent la meme chose ici (a Montreal).
Maybe it's a French language thing? (Joking, joking...)
sidebar: why won't my accent keys work?

@funnyface: I was using size 8 as an example as I think size 8 is generally a very healthy "slim" size for taller women. Of course, designers could also be using 5'5" size 6 models too. The fact is, designers will always only make one sample size for their line. They just aren't going to make some things in a 2, others in 4, etc...

@Miss Smith Drank Your Vodka:
No, the shape on a Q-tip isn't streamlined enough. The fabric won't drape properly, and it might pool around the bulbous end at the bottom.
Lollipop stick?

@hatepaperdoll: It was the "so they're still underweight" which implied to me that the hypothetical 18 year old who would "still" be underweight had a BMI of 18, since that is the BMI allegedly mandated now.

@funnyface: In Spain the models are required to have a BMI of 18, not France. My comment was about France's policy of "raising awareness", France has not set a required BMI.

@vivresavie17:
Yeah it is. I think it's one of those lets wait and see situations.

PS. I loved Whitney tonight on ANTM. It was naive, but she was all, "I'M GOING TO CHANGE MODELING FOREVER, GUYS! It's gonna be awesome!"

Tendercome.

This is bullshit. It's the designers themselves who are too blame. The designers cast women who are built like 13 year old boys. Not too difficult giving most of the models are 15 year old girls anyway. Seriously, what's with the 15 year old girls modelling clothes for 30 year old women?

I am officially over it.

I think BMI should be used as a guideline to an extent.
You can only tell so much by it, some people are born with light bones, some with heavy. I have a BMI of 15/16, so you would say that I'm anorexic and generally unhealthy, however.. if you take me to a doctor he wouldn't say that I'm anorexic. You don't see ribs poking out everywhere, or other bones. I actually have quite an amount of meat on my bones. Actually, I would still be refused on the catwalks because my hips are too big!

So having a low BMI doesn't neccecairily mean youre unhealthy or anorecix, I say they should keep an eye on the measurements of the models, they say much more than BMI.

@vivresavie17: And by Giles Deacon, I meant Gareth Pugh. Sheesh. Getting my edgy British designers all mixed up. The Fashionista girls would be aghast!