The article doesn't actually quote her as saying their undesirable style of walking was BECAUSE of their weight/size. I suppose that's the obvious connection for us all to make, but it doesn't actually say that.
@Princess Leela: If they were bad walkers it probably had more to do with the fact that they are editorial models because no one ever casts runway models that size.
@Penny: Elena MirĂ³ does, and has for years. I'm confused that people seem to think this is such a novelty. Perhaps it's the contrast -- all the models in a MirĂ³ show are size 6, 8, 10, but none of them are 0,2, 4.
Seriously, for most of you who do not work in fashion or with models. THE WALKING is important, and it is a lot harder than it looks. Are any of you familiar with Erika Kurihara's work? She has always styled all sizes, ethnicities, and ages in her editorial work when it wasn't popular to do this. And judging from what I have seen, the plus sized models in Mark Fast's show, had crappy walks. Also, before you Jezebels get all happy about this casting: Mark didn't use a single "Black" model. Wanessa is Brazilian of mixed heritage, and Rachel Rutt is half White and Asian...The plus-size casting decision was obviously for novelty.
@ShrilataMover: I'm not overly excited about this casting. However....yes, walking is important, the point is that why would a model 4 sizes smaller necessarily be able to walk any better? This is Mark Fast, it's not like he had the industry's top walkers.
I know what the stylist is talking about. Us fatties waddle around like pregnant bowlegged penguins, pausing every few steps to catch our breath. It's an ordeal just to haul ass out of bed and waddle to the refrigerator. God knows what I'd look like, hauling my fat ass down the runway. I'd probably have someone following behind me with a chair and a Big Gulp so I could rest and drink every 15 feet. Thank the lord someone's brave and smart enough to break their silence on this topic. Where would we be without her?
The photo of the Fast model above is much better than the one that ran yesterday, in which the dress looked incredibly ill-fitting and uncomfortable. It looked like it was cutting into her skin in some places. I wrote that off to bad lighting or bad camera work.
But in the above photo, I see how the dress is supposed to fit. It (and she) looks pretty damn hot. I only wish I could pull off a look like that. Good for Fast.
@willwriteforfood: I think the fit was so bad because the stylist had apparently given the ladies ill-fitting undergarments. If you look at the gallery it wasn't the dresses so much as the underwear. I think the stylist was being spiteful and gave them too -small underwear. No matter what your size, if your panties don't fit, you will look uncomfortable.
@GirlFailer: I went back to look at the photo and you're right, you can see her bra and panties cutting into her body. If that was done on purpose, then that's just evil.
WTF is a stylist doing commenting on the models' walk or build, anyway? I would think a stylist of any talent can work with the people and clothing they're given without crabbing about it. I doubt a designer pays a stylist to mouth off about his choice of clothing or employee.
@thelastsara: Speaking of, I just sent this to my boss and our buyers in response to a whiny email from our store staff.....you gots to click on it for the full effect.
Really, when you think about it, having "plus" size models walk your show is rather business savvy. They are absolutely right when they say that, because of the size of the models usually walking in shows, women believe only thin women can wear the clothes and look good. Some designers love the exclusivity of that. Other designers see how limiting it is to their bottom line and think otherwise. Capitalism FTW!
@Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny.: This was a genius move, and only keeps looking better. One, non size -0 see that they might actually be able to wear these clothes. Two, it would have gotten press regardless of this situation, because a designer used someone out of the norm. Three, he comes out smelling like roses and is getting even more press for it because of the reaction.
"The kept tripping over the burritos and waffle fries strewn about the runway, and I was concerned for their health," Kurihara explained. "I told them to think happy yogurt thoughts, but they refused."
I shall now dream of runways filled with waffle fries.
@librariesare4lovers: Good call! I was actually kind of disappointed in that novel, although I generally really enjoy Butler's fiction. But it's a superb example of a piece of literature that does not conform to this thesis.
True Blood is basically a soap opera with Vampires filling the roles of any other undesirable groups/minorities. But apparently, the Vampire Queen, played by Evan Rachel Wood is about to make her way onto the show, so Im stoked for that.
@ArtfulSlinger: My issue with the vamps-as-minority metaphor (and I think Ball has specified that it's supposed to be a metaphor for how homosexualized are demonized) is that it...doesn't really work. In order for it to work the vampires would need to be...not actually bad. Except they are. They kill people, lock them in basements, that whole tribunal was creepy, etc.
I mean, yes, Bill makes some effort...and they're at least nuanced characters. But the metaphor just completely doesn't work for me. I suppose they could be saying that people literally view "others" as non-human...but again, for it to be a workable metaphor, they'd need to be misunderstood. Which so far, not so much.
I dunno...I think I'm just disappointed with the show. I really wanted to like it and have fun with it...and mostly I'm just finding myself bored or annoyed by it.
@tiredfairy: This is a late reply, but I totally agree. It's becoming more and more apparent to me as I watch the first season how faulty the show's main metaphor is...and it is marring my enjoyment of it. The people who are against vampires and vampire society are portrayed as bigots and ignorant rednecks, when in reality, they have a really.good.point. Aside from Bill, we really don't see any vampires that are trying very hard to not be brutal and violent (at least as far as I have seen, nearing the end of Season 1). There are all sorts of other things I could nitpick, like how vampires want full civil rights and yet they have their own government and judicial system. We're supposed to be on Sookie's side and think her friends are unfairly thwarting her great love with Bill and yet I can see exactly why they would be so freaked out. At least in the Buffy-verse, Angel was an obvious exception. He was good for very specific reasons, it was made explicit that all other vampires were evil though-and-through and that Angel was only held back from that evil through a tenuous ensoulment.
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It seems odd that the stylist was more concerned about this and not the ill fitting underwear...
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But in the above photo, I see how the dress is supposed to fit. It (and she) looks pretty damn hot. I only wish I could pull off a look like that. Good for Fast.
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WTF is a stylist doing commenting on the models' walk or build, anyway? I would think a stylist of any talent can work with the people and clothing they're given without crabbing about it. I doubt a designer pays a stylist to mouth off about his choice of clothing or employee.
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@Penny:
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I shall now dream of runways filled with waffle fries.
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Hmmmmmmmbaaaacon.....
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mmmmmmmm. friiiiiiiiiies.
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There is also a waterfall. Made of soft-serve ice cream.
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Fashion week has jumped the shark.
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Are you familiar with Octavia Bulter's novel Fledgling? That has a female vampire protagonist who is also black.
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I mean, yes, Bill makes some effort...and they're at least nuanced characters. But the metaphor just completely doesn't work for me. I suppose they could be saying that people literally view "others" as non-human...but again, for it to be a workable metaphor, they'd need to be misunderstood. Which so far, not so much.
I dunno...I think I'm just disappointed with the show. I really wanted to like it and have fun with it...and mostly I'm just finding myself bored or annoyed by it.
07/02/09