What Designer Labels Should Be Representing...

As a 19 year old female, I believe designer labels should be representing the 'average' size woman at 9 stone and above, not these 'skinny' size 0 models. 

If magazines were to advertise fuller woman, on the front pages modelling designer clothes, I will be more likely to buy them. This is because I am not made to feel insecure by seeing 'thin' girls, wearing them better than me. Also I would have more of an idea on how the clothes would look on me.

Research on this came from a poll at London Fashion Week. With 79% of the public voting, that if fashion designers were to use more average-shaped women in their catwalk shows, it would help them sell more clothes! Fashion labels should listen to their consumers, who are all different shapes and sizes, buying their clothes. Designer labels need to be representative of the whole population of women, not just the minority.

By seeing 'fuller' women advertise designer clothes, I see myself being represented. And fashion industries would receive more consumer loyalty.

I also believe that designer labels should be representing more of an multiultural society. This can be explained by post-colonialism. Post-colonialism is an era which has existed since the middle of the 20th century. It was developed after colonialism, this is when colonial countries became independent.

You can still see in today's society that the majority of models, are white. This reflects the old idea of white people as being more superior. Which was widely circulated into the 20th century, of course this is not true! However it seems that fashion industries, may still find this idea quite potent today.

In 2013 New York Fashion week, statistics found that....

This shows that nearly 80% of models at one of the biggest fashion catwalk shows in the world, are white! Using only 10.1% asian, 8.1% Black, 1.9% latina and 0.5% other. This is not very racially diverse, and thirteen companies in total including Calvin Klein, used no models of colour at all!

I am left thinking, why does such huge global brands like Calvin Klein. Whose multicultural business model depends on people from all over the world wanting to buy their clothes, appear to care so little about racial diversity in fashion?

This causes many negative effects on the models themselves, and the consumers. It forces models of colour to compete against each other for very limited spaces, and industries are less likely to hire non-white models, because they have fewer opportunities. It also affects consumers because we see these white runaway models being promoted to do magazine covers, television commercials, etc. That girls all over the world cant help but grow up consuming that designer labels are promoting the idea, as beauty means having white skin.

Racial diversity in fashion is a large and complex one, it seems high end fashion agencies prefer white skin. And racial diversity in the fashion industry, and outside of our own cultural ideas about what, and who gets to be beautiful, needs to be broadened. However there is also age, sexual orientation, and, most obviously, size, that needs to be worked on too.

I hope one day that the fashion industries will be able to sort all of these issues out, and finally be able to represent the majority of the population worldwide, instead of just the minority. This is what designer labels should be representing!

Catwalk Models VS Plus Size Models

In England the average weight and height for males and females are:

Male:
5ft 9in (175.3cm) tall and weighed 13.16 stone (83.6kg)

Female:
weighed 11 stone (70.2kg) and was 5ft 3in tall (161.6cm).

However In society today even though the majority of women are size 10 and above, there are still strict weight regulations for catwalk models to conform too.
 
Male:
Between 5'11" and 6'2" tall, and weigh under 80kg

Female:
weigh between 7 stone (48.9kg) to 9 stone, (58.9kg) and be around 5’9” to 5”11 inches tall

This is a huge difference between sizes of catwalk models, compared to the average size person. This is important to me as a consumer because depending on who is modelling the clothes, depends on me choosing to buy the outfit. If I see a skinny model modelling the clothes I am less likely to buy it. This is because I believe it will not look as good on me, as it would on that model. This is the disadvantage of getting people to buy clothes fashioned by 'skinny' models, because this kind of advertising affects me as the consumer.

Life of a Catwalk Model

The main aim of catwalk models used in fashion magazines is to sell the clothes they are wearing, to us consumers.

These models are a new breed of women with near impossible measurements. They must be extremely thin, with waists between a 22-26inch range, and be extremely tall. For women to achieve this look they are kept on strict diets. These diets consist of extreme calorie restriction, and rigorous exercise.

This is not healthy and is definitely not normal! But why then do magazines publish these thin women on the front pages of Vogue magazine? This is because they believe that clothes fit thinner models better. That if the clothes were modeled by plus size models, people would focus on that persons weight, not the clothes. This is of course not true!

We may associate catwalk models as being rich, and having a glamorous lifestyle. When in fact they are made to feel more 'degraded' and 'dehumanized,' than consumers. They are treated as a 'prop,' you never learn about the girls personalities, just their appearance.

Post modernist concept 'style over substance' can explain that the models surface appearance (make up and clothing), is masking their true identity. And that their surface appearance in magazines, is becoming their identity. These woman are being dehumanized and exploited, by the big fashion manufacturers and companies. Also known in Marxism, as the bourgeoisie.

The public now days are so used to women being exploited by the fashion industry. That magazines can get away with airbrushing models, making them appear thinner and more beautiful. We are once again reminded that we should look like this 'ideal woman'.

This creates a hyperreality for consumers. This is explained by Jean Baudrillard, who says hyperreality occurs in 3 steps. He suggests that our lives are dominated by the media (magazines), this is the simulation. Then we begin to make no distinction between reality we experience first hand (average size women), and simulated experience offered by the media (thin, airbrushed models). This is the implosion. The the final stage hyperreality occurs, when our actual reality (average woman) has become distorted. And that our reality is now being mediated for us, by the media. We now see the average women as needing to be thinner and more beautiful, like the models in the magazines. 

As a consumer when I see thin catwalk models wearing designer clothes, it makes me think I should also be 'thin'. And this image created by the media of the perfect woman above, as the dominant ideology is superficial. However in complete contrast is the new range of models the...

Plus Size Model

In the fight against size 0 models, the rise of the 'fuller' woman has begun. More magazines and TV advertisements are starting to use 'plus size models' to model their clothing range, and banning models who are too skinny.

Plus size models shape requirements are that they must be at least a UK size 12 to qualify. And ideally be a dress size 12,14, or 16. Although like catwalk models they must still be tall, at around 5'8," to 6'0". This is a much healthier shape, and is much more representative of the society we live in.

A poll was done on the British public, during London Fashion Week. It found that the public voted fashion designers should not be allowed to use, size 'zero' models. With 79% of the public voting, that if fashion designers were to use more average-shaped women in their catwalk shows, it would help them sell more clothes!

Therefore if the public are saying they want to see more average sized women modelling the clothes, then why is this taking such a long time to happen?

Even though there are more plus size models than ever before, and there has been success rates.Such as Vogue who have pledged to ban underweight models, and models under the age of 16. We are still however exposed to lots of skinny models on the catwalk, and in magazines. 

One of the first 'plus size' models is a woman called Sophie Dahl, who made her debut in London fashion week in 1997. She was known as a 'big girl' in the modelling world, because she was overweight in modelling standards. However she was still ranked no.10 in Chanel "worlds greatest supermodel'. Her picture is shown below...

She used to be in the news constantly, and the topic for the media was about her weight. She was overly criticized by everyone in the fashion industry for her size, which they made sure she didn't forget. Thankfully this didn't affect her love for food, and her confidence with her body.

Even though she was heavily criticized by the fashion industry, and the media. It was great to see she was still successful with her modelling career. And that her confidence in her size, has aspire others to be more confident with their bodies. She would be happy to know that 'plus size' models are breaking into the industry, and are being praised now, instead of criticized.

As a consumer I am happy, knowing that the average size woman is being recognized. Also that there are more 'plus size' models being used to advertise clothes. This makes me feel more confident. As I will be far more likely to buy the clothes from these retailers, using plus size models. Instead of being made to feel self conscious and insecure, seeing 'stick thin' models in the clothes I want.

What High End Fashion Magazines are telling us...

As a consumer of designer clothing, when I look through fashion magazines of an elite culture such as Vogue, who are analyzed by more affordable magazines. I can see the same common occurrence...

This is that all the women modelling these clothes are tall, thin models, with mostly big boobs, and a tiny waist.This is not representative of our society, and is ridiculously artificial! 

We are living in a world which is so superficial, no wonder girls feel so much pressure to look good! Our image of beauty is so distorted, that we are made to think we must look like the women modelling these clothes. When in fact, we should be happy with being ourselves!

The media used in these magazines are putting so much pressure on us women. And why are they doing this? They want us to feel insecure, as this is the only way they can sell their products, and earn money off us. By making us as consumers, feel degraded enough to buy what they tell us too. This is where our reality is being distorted, and our image of beauty is being mediated for us. 

You can argue that the magazines are taking a market liberalist approach, that they are supporting capitalism. This is a system in which people are driven to produce goods, and services for profit. That these fashion magazines are in competition with each other to get us consumers, to buy their products.  

The techniques being used to sell these clothes on the front cover of Vogue magazine, are first the models. On the front cover of the Vogue magazine above, you see an attractive, thin, model, is wearing designer clothes. The model is trying to sell the clothes to the consumers (us). They do this by selling a narrative, that when you look at the item of clothing modeled above. It makes me as the consumer, want to buy it. This is because I want to be her, and I want to look like her. A consumer will buy because they want to look like the person modeling the clothes, when wearing them.

The pose and body language used by the model is also another advertisement technique. Which aims to show the clothes off at their best, attracting the reader. For example If we decode the front cover, it shows a medium to long range shot of the model. This enables the reader to see the whole outfit, (except the shoes) and how it fits. She has her hands on her hips, which gives a 'sassy' vibe that this is an strong, independent, woman. Which would be approved by feminists. However the models pose also gives off sexual intention, that you can look both sophisticated and sexy, which can help women attract a man. And by  having her arms out of the way of her body, this doesn't hide the outfit. Which is important as this is the product the magazine is trying to sell.

Another technique used by Vogue magazine, is the text used. It uses serif font, this connotes that it is a 'stylish' and 'fancy' magazine. Which suggests that the clothes are too. The magazine uses anchorage, this is when the text used on the front cover like 'Very Sexy,' and 'Ethno Chick.' Fixes to the meaning with the image, of the women wearing the designer clothes.

Another technique used is the colour of the background, and font. The background is white which connotes sophistication, and it is enigmatic. Then a pastel/maroon colour is used for the title, we can denote that this is a feminine colour. Then it has icons located on the cover in black, which highlights the key stories.

Edward Bernays was one of the first to recognize the power of psychological techniques in advertising, and persuasion. He showed co-operations how they can make people want things that they didn't need, by linking mass produced goods (clothes,) to peoples unconscious desires.The idea of these 'unconscious desires comes from Edward Bernays uncle Sigmund Freud. Who says we all are born with instinctual desires, but these are repressed as we grow up. However Freud says these cannot be eradicated all together. 

Bernays was able to recognize that these 'unconscious desires,' could be tapped into successful techniques of persuasion. He proposed advertising should operate at the level of feelings and emotions. He argued that products (clothes) should make people feel better about themselves, by engaging with hidden emotions. In order to make an object desirable, its more effective to manipulate the nature of consumer desire, than to manipulate the object.

These are some of the different advertising techniques used by magazines to make us as the consumers, feel swayed to buy their products, which increases their profit. Overall capital goods are used to produce these consumer goods, which supports capitalism.

Marxism's Frankfurt School theorist Herbert Marcuse says "the desire to consume is an expression of 'false needs,' created by advertising industry". This is in contradiction to our real needs which should be happiness, and freedom of choice. This is what Marcuse meant by his 'One Dimensional Man'  study. This is that capitalism conditions us to a confined world, with limited opportunity, and no individuality.

There is also a association of desirable identities with objects in advertising. Advertisements invite target audiences to place themselves within a story, in which objects provide access to 'the person you always wanted to be'. This is when a women wants to look like the models on the front pages of Vogue, in their clothes. This shows that fictions play a role in the sales of designer clothes.

However you never seem to see any larger women on the cover, or in the pages of magazines, specifically Vogue...

However recently, plus size singer and song writer Adele. Actually appeared on the Vogue cover in March 2012, and is the first ever plus size women to be on the march issue. And overall is the second plus size woman after Jennifer Hudson, to be on a Vogue cover.

However when published Vogue was slashed by the public, for the fashion labels obvious radical weight loss, and airbrushing, to the singer Adele. Who is in fact a size 16, but is made to look much smaller. Her cheek bones are shaded to make her face look slimmer, and her arms and waist has been shrunk. Also they have positioned her body in a way which would not indicate her actual body size. For example they cut the image slightly below the boobs, which makes her look like she has a smaller stomach. However this is completely artificial as we know Adele is a size 16, but why is Adele made to look this way? Because her body does not conform with today's ideology of the perfect, slim, figure.

This shows that magazines and the media in general, can be very artificial. They project the idea of the 'perfect body' to sell clothes. By making us as consumers feel insecure about ourselves, magazines are able to sell their products to us, and get our money.

As a consumer I am upset that magazines have to use techniques and tricks, to make us buy their designer clothes. Are we no longer allowed freedom of choice? And do magazines now only care about making money?

Am I too fat to wear designer clothes?

I am 19 year old 5’5 female who is a size 8-10, should I be concerned? 

Every week, I can’t help but notice when I read celebrity gossip magazines, that I am completely bombarded with the latest fashion trends straight off the catwalk. And who are the people modeling these clothes for Gucci and D&G? ‘Stick insect’ models.

 

These men and women are not a representative of the majority of people in our society. Why then are we made to think stick thin legs, and hollow cheekbone are attractive? Why do we strive to achieve to look like these girls, that we see in these labels?

The average woman in England weighs 11 stone, (70.2kg) and is 5ft 3 inches (161.6cm) tall. However a high end fashion model must weigh between 7 stone (48.9kg) to 9 stone, (58.9kg) and be around 5’9” to 5”11 inches tall. This is a huge and impossible difference!

Seeing these thin women modeling designer clothes, makes me feel insecure as a consumer. I think that the clothes will not look as good on my curves, as they would do hanging off the bones of models.     

 

Even though size 0 models have been criticized in the media, and the fashion industry promises this will change. I can't help but still notice no real progress, when looking through the glossies like Vogue.

Also there is a gender issue in the modeling world. Women are constantly being exploited in celebrity gossip magazines as being 'too fat', or focusing on their 'weight gain'. The meaning which is being created is that the larger woman, cannot wear the same clothes as smaller women. 

However men do not have this problem, and why is this? because men are not treated in the same way as women. Feminists would argue this is because of patriarchy, that society is 'male' dominated. 

Feminist's would be distraught that there is still gender inequality in our society. Feminist Laura Mulvey describes the female body as an object to be presented for male pleasure. This was explored in her essay on 'Visual pleasure and Narrative cinema'. This is the label that women should always need to look good, and compete with other women for a man.

I can't help but notice the media are determining thee norms and values, of what us women should look like, and what we must wear. We are made to feel insecure about ourselves by magazines constantly telling us we must have this 'ideal body,' (shown above) and how to loose weight fast to get it!

Why are magazines doing this? Well to make us women feel insecure, so we as consumers seek help from these magazines, by spending money. This means we are being exploited, and are increasing the media's profit maximization.

Chanel fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld labels singer and song writer Adele, as being "too Fat". 

His exact words were "The thing at the moment is Adele. She is a little too fat." If it isn't enough that us regular women are made to feel insecure about ourselves enough already. All we need is a 'fashion designer' to tell one of our main role models, (who encourages us to feel good about ourselves, no matter what size!) that she is in fact "a little too fat." 

Recently Adele commented at the 2013 Grammy awards that "I've always been a size 14-16 and been fine with it,". It is good to see that negative comments such as Karl Lagerfeld "too fat" comments, have been ignored. I believe there should be more 'average sized' role models like Adele, who will show young people, you don't need to be skinny, to wear extravagant clothing.

In 2013 at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, February the 11th. Adele was seen in this  vintage-style red floral dress, (shown above).

The catwalk version of Adele's dress was the Valentinodress. Which was unveiled last month in Valentino's Paris Haute Couture show. The dress was modeled by a woman who was half the size of Adele.

Which person wears the dress better? Without question I think Adele. 

I believe more 'average size' models look more realistic, and I want to see healthier sized models selling these clothes to us on the catwalk, and in the magazines. I hope that one day these designer clothes can be modeled by women of Adele's size. Then, the rise of the average size women will become the dominant ideology.

In comparison why is it that Ed Sheeran  who also went to the same Grammy awards as Adele, no one commented on his appearance? Even though he is clearly ginger, and wearing Nike trainers with a suit!

Why is it that women are subjected to criticism by what they wear, and men are not? And why am I as a female consumer, made to feel insecure about buying an item of clothing? 

Surely I should feel that as long as I feel good in an item of clothing, that is enough for me...