The Skinny on Fashion Week

BC Fashion week is in full swing, and I'm going to my first Fashion Week event at Granville Island tonight. I can't help but be reminded of the controversy Madrid's Fashion Week recently created with its ban on models that fail to reach a body mass index (BMI) of 18. What would a world of "healthy" looking models really look like? Can we really deter eating disorders by forcing models to gain a few pounds? Vancouver is by far the 'skinniest' city I've ever seen, especially after traveling in the U.S. But I truly believe it's due to our healthy lifestyle and not an anorexia epidemic (although there are of course many people that suffer from it). The concept behind turning away exceedingly thin models from the runway is that it will encourage an image of health rather than the overly thin women we are used to seeing in the fashion industry. Supporters of the ban believe that by showcasing slightly larger women, young girls won't feel so much pressure to turn to bulimia and anorexia in a quest to be skinny. I completely understand this point of view, but runway models are skinny...it has always been that way. They will always represent an unobtainable image of beauty, whether they have a BMI of 20, 18, or 14 (like Kate Moss...an image Madrid organizers are trying to avoid).

I personally don't know anyone...guys or girls, that think anorexic looking models are attractive. Maybe these models don't promote a healthy body image, but neither does Playboy. I'm more concerned about models and celebrities looking healthy yet fake, because most people will agree they do look good, even if they paid for it. It is impossible to shield young girls from all the negative body images in the media, so maybe we should focus on larger problems in society and homes that affect the self esteem of young girls.
I calculated my own BMI...18.7...I focus on fitness and eating healthy, yet if I lost a few pounds I would be banned from Madrid fashion shows! I hope we can help children make healthy food choices and gain confidence through other outlets, instead of shielding them from images of waif-like women because they 'might' have an eating disorder. I'm not sure what BC Fashion Week models will look like...but I'm guessing, well... skinny? It should be interesting to see if the fashion industry follows Madrid's lead. Who knows...BC Fashion Week might have a different look next year.