In 2012 I’ve decided to mix things up a little bit and add a monthly opinion piece written by a fabulous fellow blogger. They will be humorous, serious, opinionated and are aimed to get you thinking about fashion in a completely different way. I’ve found that when I occassionally put my own opinion pieces on the blog (last year there were only four) they garner a great response, but rather than me sitting here ranting to my computer I thought I’d leave it to the professionals.
To kick things off I’m delighted to present ‘Should the use of models under 16 be banned?’ by Amelia Grevis-James. A former News Limited journalist, Amelia created Musings of the Media Obsessed to share her thoughts on issues that relate to women- from career to politics to pop culture, and everything in between.
Enjoy!
Opinion: Should the use of models under 16 be banned?
By Amelia Grevis-James
Last week, Versace’s PR team released a single of image of the newest addition to Versace’s stable of models. Her name is Kaia Gerber and she is Cindy Crawford’s daughter. She is 10 years old.
For now, Kaia is the face of Versace’s junior line, but if the fashion industry’s long-running trend of using pre-pubescent models in its biggest campaigns and shows is anything to go by, it won’t be long before Kaia is walking the runway for world’s biggest fashion houses, modeling clothes marketed to women more than twice her age.
There has been plenty of debate about the effect modeling at such a young age has on girls, with touted effects ranging from lowered self-esteem to early sexualisation.
But it’s not just young models suffering. When the girls used to sell clothes to adult women are not just pre-pubescent, but in many cases young enough to be our daughters, the collective effect on women is highly damaging to our self esteem, sense of self and the way we perceive attractiveness.
The use of young models by fashion houses is by no means a recent phenomenon, but it is one I believe is becoming increasingly fraught and less willingly accepted by women outside the fashion industry.
In 1980, Brooke Shields became the youngest ever fashion model to appear on the cover of Vogue. She was 14. Later, at 15, she became the face of Calvin Klein, uttering the famous line “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” Nude photographs of a 10-year-old Shields were banned from being exhibited and she raised controversy playing a child prostitute in “Pretty Baby”. None of that seemed to matter to the millions of women who bought Calvin Klein jeans after she appeared in the ad campaign. Calvin Klein went on to attract criticism in the mid 1990’s when he used 15-year-old models in a shoot designed to mimic a pornography set.
More recently, we have witnessed the fashion industry becoming increasingly brazen in its attempts to push the boundaries, with male Australian model Andrej Pejic modeling women’s clothes for Jean Paul Gaultier and becoming the face of a push-up-bra.
Vogue magazine has also courted controversy last year for its editorial use of 10- year-old Thylane Blondeu, who was used by the magazine to model women’s clothes.
As a woman, it disturbs me enormously that for an huge section of the fashion industry, “normal” and “attractive” equates to a body that is devoid of any and all of the hallmarks of womanhood, in all its beauty and diversity.
I’m not trying to incite debate about the use of “plus-size” versus thin models, however, I believe that when the “women” modeling women’s clothing are not women at all, but are children or men, there is a problem.
Women come in an a huge array of shapes and sizes, but the fashion industry has thus far been slow to accept and recognize this, as exemplified by Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld’s take on the increasing demand for diversity in fashion:
“These are fat mummies sitting with their bags of crisps in front of the television, saying that thin models are ugly,” Lagerfeld said in a 2009 interview.
“(Fashion is all about) dreams and illusions, and no one wants to see round women”.
What do you think? Should the use of models under 16 be banned? Would you like to see more diversity in the fashion industry?
You can read more of Amelia Grevis-James’s writing at Musings of the Media Obsessed.
You can submit your opinion pieces for consideration to ladymelbourne@gmail.com
13 comments
Very interesting piece. I must say I am a little disturbed by the last image – I think the cuffed shoes are particularly offensive.
If anybody is interested in further reading on the subject, this book http://books.google.com.au/books/about/Womansize.html?id=BQ3FQgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y (though I read it a long time ago) had some pretty interesting things to say about our obsession with child or ‘childlike’ images undermining the body image of ‘real’ women.
I believe it was written some time ago, but I would say that it is more relevant today than ever.
i am 12 and wish i was like these hotties
i thin k she looks really nice
I think it should be banned for girls under 16. These kids think its cute, but most don’t realize its a pedofiles fantasy, and they could endanger themselves.
The Vogue spread was minor compared to some of the filth that’s floating around on the internet. I have reported sites before who obviously are stretching the line, and cater to these creeps. Rarely are the sites removed, I don’t understand what’s becoming of our society.
Sounds like we’re all in agreement on children being represented as adults being not what we want.
Andrej isn’t necessarily my thing but I think it’s pretty ace to have an adult pushing boundaries in an acceptable way.
Being a Mother I believe children should model children’s clothes .I have a four year old daughter who has an obsession with make up I realised this when I would take her into shop’s and she would cry her little eyes out if I would refuse to buy her eye shadow or lip stick, so last year I took her into Napoleon and I let one of the ladies do her make up and she was over the moon she is even on there data base and I only allow her to wear their eye shadows or lip close because she is a girly girl and I love it ‘but’ my daughter is alway’s dressed like a four year old should be dressed. I believe that dressing up is dressing up we shouldn’t look to into it although the last image was quite disturbing to look at,a little girl should be dressed like a little girl I’m not going to mention the thought that came to my head when I looked at her all I can say is what were they thinking ? So yes I agree with the other ladies on this one although when it come’s to men wearing women’s clothing it fascinates me one of my dearest friends is gay and he has just started to dress in drag when he come’s out with the ladies and he look’s amazing rocking the latest Sass n Bide frock, it makes me so happy to see him dressing and being one of the girl’s because that’s what he has alway’s wanted to be his entire life and that’s a woman so I have no problem with men modelling women’s clothing I’m all for it.
What is wrong with agents and parents who ‘pimp’ their children out for unsuitable photo shoots. Having worked as a stylist and fashion designer I have often felt very uncomfortable using very young girls for sexy womens’ wear shoots and parades. I think banning it is the only way to stop agents having them on their books. Super skinny and wrong gender also befuddles me. What is wrong with using an actual woman?
And I agree with Anna Louise. I think the rise in street style blogs is a reaction to this.
I think children should model children’s clothes and that’s all. Men CERTAINLY should not be modelling womens’ clothing and there should be an age limit for young women to model adult clothing., As in, 16 or 18.
In a sense I see this as two issues. I think in using children to model adult clothes we are doing a disservice to both the adult consumer and the child model. We are reinforcing the idea that women should aspire to the body of a child,devoid of that which defines maturity and is blatantly unattainable for the majority of the population. Whilst I don’t think that fashion alone is responsible for the body issues of women, the constant and subtle reminders of what constitutes perfection, attractiveness and worthiness (be it in a magazine, on a runway, TV, movies etc) do eventually become internalised as the norm for many. The use of children in adult lines isn’t ‘aspirational fantasy’ (the line often trotted out to explain the use of unrealistic fashion concepts) as it is inherently unattainable.
For the child models do we really want to be sexualising children, using them to portray adult concepts, to push artistic boundaries, or at it’s most basic sell a product? They are children and not props. A 10-year-old can hardly give informed consent or understand the full ramifications of participating in the fashion industry and is reliant on the adults in their life to protect them (which as we know is not always the case). The photo of Cindy Crawford’s daughter doesn’t particularly worry me as she is a child modelling a line aimed at children and the pose is not provocative. The Vogue photo on the other hand demonstrates why some form of legislation would be good. Having read interviews with the mother, photographer and Vogue editor when the series were first published it is clear that for some this is seen as totally appropriate. I think we have a duty to protect those young girls and those who see the photos. Yes children should be able to model, but they should be modelling children’s clothing lines and there should be strict monitoring to protect them from harm.
I’ll have to be honest and say I’m not overly phased with Andrej Pejic modelling women’s clothing. I’m not sure why exactly, maybe because I look at him as just another model as far removed from my own body reality as the majority of female adult models. Instead I am more concerned by the paucity of diversity in modelling, but as you say that’s another discussion entirely.
I think the joint fall in circulation of paper magazines that keep putting younger and thinner and more airbrushed women in their pages needs to be paired with the rise in fashion-interested people’s obsessions with street style blogs, photographs and books.
Is it a coincidence that online, int he internet, the world’s biggest democracy, people are showing an insatiable appetite for reading about and looking at real people wearing beautiful things and having stylish lives? I don’t think so.
I for one stopped buying Vogue because I was sick of being pushed to buy things I couldn’t afford, and seeing women (and sometimes children and men) wearing things in a competely unattainable way.
To me those magazines increasingly have nothing to do with style.
I get my (daily) style fixes from this blog, from the Sartorialist, and from Garnce Dore. I also love to be inspired by Fashion Hayley, Street Peeper and other forums. I only bother looking at Vogue once a month, if that, and rarely buy it (when I used to be a subscriber).
Using children (and men) to try market clothes to women just alienates me further, because they’re too obsessed with money. And everyone knows: money can’t buy style.
Thank you for your blog and your lovely pictures, Lady Melbourne – keep up the fabulous work! x
Models are often sexualised. It is morally wrong to depict pictures of children in that way.
I agree, to model ‘Adult” clothing, you should use an Adult.
Some of those photos make me really uncomfortable. I don’t think it’s right that young girls should be modeling women’s clothes. I can see that if they have an interest in modeling a career modeling more age appropriate clothes would be fun and a good introduction to the industry, but I agree with a lot of the points here.
I don’t like the banning of things in general. I’d hope common sense prevails, but here it won’t I’m afraid.
I’d like to see children 16 or under only modelling children’s or teen’s clothing.
I don’t mind the shot of Cindy Crawford’s daughter here and it is for a teen line so I feel that’s fine.
The Vogue spread was just plain weird. If it had more of an innocent “dress-up in mummy’s too big heels” vibe it could have been cute, but they were simply transposing a child into an adult situation and that’s pushing it.