Karen Elson's Heartfelt Outcry Against 'Skeletal' Models at NYFW

SIZZLING SCANDAL ROCKS THE FASHION WORLD: KAREN ELSON SPEARS THE TRUTH ABOUT NYFW

In a bombshell exposé, British supermodel Karen Elson has unleashed a devastating critique of the fashion industry's alarming obsession with ultra-thin physiques at New York Fashion Week. The 46-year-old Vogue cover star, known for strutting alongside Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell in the Nineties, revealed she was left "heartbroken" by what she saw on the catwalk.

"It's not 'fit and lean' slender; it's skeletal," Karen declared, describing the disturbingly thin models who have become a staple of NYFW. "I've seen hip bones sharp enough to shank you, all edges and no softness, hollow silhouettes. It's heartbreaking."

The former face of Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Dior was appalled by the cruel treatment of young models who are pushed to extremes in pursuit of an unattainable ideal. At one show, she spoke to a model who had been told she was "too big" to book jobs this season. Karen described the mode as a "statuesque wisp of a girl," asking, "How can she possibly be made to feel 'huge'?"

"Don't those saying such things realise how hateful and destructive those words are, not only to the individual hearing them, but to society at large?" Karen wrote on Substack. "They're woefully ignorant about the long-term effects that have on a woman's body and trust me, they're catastrophic."

Karen, who now combines her modelling career with work as a singer-songwriter and activist, confessed she had personal experience with body image issues and disordered eating during her early days in the industry. "I struggled with body dysmorphia myself when I was younger, not because I ever truly thought I was 'too big,' but because I was told I had to lose weight to work," she revealed.

"I was made to feel guilty if I didn't look hungry. Modeling was my one-way ticket out of a hopeless situation back home, and if going hungry was what it took to prevent the one-way ticket home, I did it. Looking back, it's sickening to realise how my livelihood was tied to how thin I was; and yet, that's still the reality for so many young models today."

Karen insisted that models themselves are not responsible for the problem, but rather the system that demands impossible proportions. "People often blame models for promoting unhealthy body types, but in truth it's the industry pulling the strings, making us feel less-than," she said.

The supermodel argued that fashion must do more to "value the human wearing the clothes beyond her silhouette." She asked why only a select few women – those with the 'supermodel' label – are granted the freedom to be themselves. "What I find most confusing is this: fashion is for women and yet some of the women walking the runway are often starving," Karen mused.

"A handful of us who've earned the 'supermodel' label have a bit more leeway to be ourselves, but why not the rest? Would it really be catastrophic for the industry to size samples a little bigger?" she asked. "How can fashion be inspirational when it presents clothes on women who feel they must go hungry to fit them? Isn't that the definition of contradiction, or is it just me?"

Karen's comments come amid renewed concern about the health of models as ultra-thin physiques once again dominate runways. The industry has made repeated pledges towards "body positivity," but Karen accused designers and casting directors of hypocrisy.

"Behind closed doors, young women are being encouraged to starve themselves to work while the industry preaches body positivity," she wrote on Substack. "It's terrifying and deeply disappointing."

The supermodel, who is now married to music studio boss Lee Foster, has two children with her ex-husband Jack White of The White Stripes. Karen is not seeking to "point fingers" but wants to ignite a conversation about the dangers within fashion.

"I do think it's an important debate, because I think there is a collective blindness in my industry to recognise that this is a problem," she said. "I genuinely believe we can be more compassionate and understanding towards each other. We need to make a change."

As one of the most iconic faces in the fashion world, Karen Elson's words carry significant weight. Her scathing critique of the industry's obsession with thinness has sparked a much-needed conversation about the devastating consequences of this culture.

Sources:

This article was first reported on The Scholarly Note [thescholarlynote.com] on February 22, 2023.