Skinny Models Kicked off Madrid Runways
The Madrid Fashion week in Spain went ahead as planned on Monday, with a ban on ultra-skinny models.
Reuters reports that the show restricted models to those with a body mass index (BMI) higher than 18. That means a 6′0″ tall model would have to weigh no less than about 135 pounds to be considered for the show.
The ban came about under pressure from the regional goverment in Madrid, a show sponsor.
The regional president, Esperanza Aguirre, has argued that young girls look to the super-skinny models as a standard of beauty, which can lead to eating disorders.
“I think it’s fantastic,” said the show’s director, Leonor Perez-Pit. “They look beautiful. I don’t want skeletons on the catwalk. Clothes look much better on a lovely girl than on a clothes hanger.”
Britain’s culture minister, along with the mayor of Milan, are calling for similar bans in their respective territories.