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Au Revoir Skin & Bone

Curvier girls have been non-grata in the world of vocational anorexics for over a decade, it’s not exactly cynical to suggest this breakthrough as a one night stand; part of a publicity stunt in an industry constantly battling boredom.

French fries aren’t French. Butterflies are not made of butter. The 100-year war actually lasted 116 years and 'fat' models have never been fat – until now. Derailing the industries one-track train to the fashionable figure, curvy models have overcome fattist bigwigs and their unassailable outlook that if your abs are made of croissant instead of steel you cannot be photographed for anything other than Evans.

Here’s the skinny...

Heralding ‘every body is beautiful’ an entire issue of V magazine, dedicated to women who look like…women, is the latest installment in the growing presence of larger women amongst the skinny ranks of fashion. In an attempt to break down the barriers fashions distorted perception of perfection, Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø proved Candice Huffine, Marquita Pring, Michelle Olson, Tara Lynn, and Kasia P – models with fleshy meat on their bones and smiles on their faces – are curves ahead of their emaciated counterparts; shooting them in cropped tops, skinny jeans, swimsuits and Herve Leger bodycon dresses.             

In the same issue, Terry Richardson’s spread ‘One Size Fits All’ seemingly experiments in body dysomorphia with mirror images of former skinny-Minnie Crystal Renn and new face Jacquelyn Jablonski. With the only difference being a few inches around the hips and waist, wearing the same clothes and posing in the same stance, you’d be excused for thinking the images are of one model manipulated in photoshop, but you’d be wrong. Even spring's most sizzling looks can work on any figure, worn in the right way.

After ten-years on the scene, Crystal Renn has gone from open-anorexic to celebrated heavy-weight, pioneering the move away from mentioning the ‘plus’ before the model, setting new standards over emaciated ideals and leading a legion of curvy girls to the forefront of fashion – muffin-tops and all. Not exactly a new face, she is the face of something new, trail blazing out of the plus-size commercial hinterland and into the most prestigious pages of fashion magazines, featuring in Vogue, posing for Steven Meisel, Craig McDean and Patrick Demarchelier, and fronting a Dolce & Gabbana ad campaign in size 16 skin.

In an industry where size zero is the norm, anyone tipping the scales over 7 stone can be deemed a hungry hippo and it's only once in a blue moon we're graced with a figure that doesn't resemble the victim of some medieval skin stretching device with protruding hipbones, knobbly knees and a concaved stomach. We've been thrown the odd and occasional fashion decoy in the history of walking/talking mannequins, like the fabulously plump Sophie Dahl circa 1996 - pre prominent cheek bones. The early supermodel powerhouses, a la Crawford, Evangelista, Campbell and crew all stormed the runways and dominating magazine covers with a salute to the amazonian figure. However, the tables turned when Ms. Moss emerged all prepubescent, sallow-skinned, lank-haired and hollow-cheeked. Waving the flag for the heroin-chic movement and illustrating the fickle disposition of trends, bosoms and buttocks were thrust aside like Big-Mac wrappers.

After the long reign of androgynous figures, could this be the shape of things to come? Curvier girls have been non-grata in the world of vocational anorexics for over a decade and the biggest breakthrough of late has been contemporary 'larger lady' Lara Stone – a massive size 4!! – so it’s not exactly cynical to suggest this breakthrough as a one night stand; part of a publicity stunt in an industry constantly battling boredom.

It’s been a slow succession starting back in September, when Lizzie Miller caused a small media storm defying convention, in American Glamour, naked but for a thong and a stomach roll; the reaction acknowledged a hunger for images that represent real women as opposed to the minority female ‘perfection.’ Following this boundary pushing premise, challenging the obsession with skin and bone models, Mark Fast boldly incorporated curvy models into his S/S 2010 collection to prove fuller figures look just as good in his dresses as lean ones, much to the frustration of his stylist and creative designer who subsequently quit following his announcement.like the raising of a hemline on a skirt, this vital progression should not be regarded as little more than a meaningless fling with the deity of all that is 'vogue'. And that’s the size of it.

Anyone tipping the scales over 7 stone can be deemed a hungry hippo and it's only once in a blue moon we're graced with a figure that doesn't resemble the victim of some medieval skin stretching device with protruding hipbones.

Words: Sarah Bonser
Images: Terry Richardson for V Magazine