Size Zero – the Returning Requirement in Fashion Modeling

Fashion models are crucial to the fashion industry, often seen in advertisements, magazines, runways, etc. The occupation heavily focuses on one’s physical appearance, often requiring models to look as conventionally attractive as possible. While the beauty standard is ever-changing, and there is no correct answer for what counts as beauty, the preference to use thin models has never left the modeling world.

Unfortunately, the misnomer that “slender bodies are more desirable” continues to be more than a short-lived trend. Recently, concerns around model size requirements, especially for runway shows, have once again been a heated conversation after the Spring/Summer ’25 Fashion Week.

Nothing Tastes as Good as Skinny Feels

We are all familiar with the infamous quote by supermodel Kate Moss, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” from an interview in 2009. The phrase immediately caused chaos on the internet. The “heroin chic” muse was and still is heavily criticized for the quote. Even though the model later voiced her regret about the comment, society seems to have embedded this idealism in our brains.

The obsession with thinness is a huge component of a toxic beauty standard and diet culture. Promoted heavily in mainstream media and social media, people are glamorizing having a low body mass index (BMI) through extreme lifestyles such as undereating and over-exercising, with no awareness being made of the potential harm to our health. Statistics show that there has been an alarming increase in the global prevalence of eating disorders among young people since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has continued to worsen ever since. 

Most of these harmful contents are catered to a young audience, who may not have enough awareness or have yet to develop a sense of critical thinking. By blindly absorbing and following without consideration over their body type, lifestyle, health condition, etc., this potentially encourages and results in eating disorders and other mental health issues such as body dysmorphia and depression. For example, Kate Moss’s motto was adopted by Pro-Ana (Promotion of Anorexia) despite it not being her intention at all.

Never “Thin” Enough

While there has been an increasing awareness and public education around mental health and eating disorders in recent years, the desire to achieve unrealistic beauty standards is still very much dominating.

Weight standards remain an existing problem in the fashion industry. This fixation on thinness results in body image issues for models, the same people that many look up to as their “body goal” role models. Recently, supermodel Bella Hadid’s first walk for Saint Laurent at SS25 Paris Fashion Week sparked discussion around models’ body requirements once again.

Hadid is one of the highest-paid fashion models of all time. With weight being a sensitive and controversial topic in the modeling industry, Hadid was vocal about her mental health and body image struggles in an interview with Vogue back in 2022. The model went on a hiatus on the runway for two years to recover from Lyme disease, with the SS25 Saint Laurent show being her first return.

Having a decade-long modeling experience since 2014, it is surprising that this is Hadid’s first time walking for the brand. But what is more shocking is the reason behind it, with the model’s 2022 Vogue interview being brought back up to the table. Reminiscing about her modeling journey in the interview, Hadid spoke about the dark side of this seemingly glamorous job, which netizens now pick up on why this SS25 show is only Hadid’s first time modeling for the brand despite her high profile – she was apparently “too big” for Saint Laurent.

Body Inclusivity – a Gimmick?

The then-16-year-old Bella Hadid was body-shamed during fitting as she couldn’t fit into Saint Laurent’s unrealistic runway sample size, which, bear in mind, Hadid and many of her fellow girls were already malnourished and exhausted at the time. If these “extremely thin” models, who are put on a strict lifestyle, are “body goals” role models for many and are at the same time considered “too big” for fashion brands, what is the point of chasing this unachievable standard? And more importantly, what is the consequence?

Unfortunately, the obsession with thinness has been a main feature in society’s beauty standards for over half a decade. It was extremely prominent during the 90s and 2000s that the term “90s thinness” was coined, along with the infamous quote we have all heard by the iconic Kate Moss.

Still, there have been periods of a positive increase in body inclusivity in the fashion industry. To name a few, France banned underweight models in 2017, with Spain being the first country to do so in 2006. Fashion brands, especially new ones such as Ester Manas, Karoline Vitto, and Sinéad O’Dwyer, are more inclined to hire models of different sizes for their campaigns. However, there is a worrying return of the domination of “skinny” models in the fashion runways.

The Worrying Future of Body Diversity in Modeling

According to the Spring/Summer ’25 size inclusivity report released by Vogue Business, throughout the 8763 looks shown in 208 shows and presentations across the fashion weeks, 94.9% of the models are of size 0-4. In contrast, plus-size (US 14+) models only comprise 0.8%.

This limited-body inclusivity is shown not only in Fashion Weeks but also in ongoing fashion events, and the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is no exception.

Victoria’s Secret has always been criticized for only hiring skinny models, ignoring the change in society with increased awareness of diversity and body inclusivity. Despite the runway show being a household classic in the 2000s, it eventually got cancelled in 2019 after 23 years. 

Victoria’s Secret models, known as Angels, typically have an hourglass body with a “perfect” body measurement of 32-22-32 and above 5’9″ in height. The Angels are back in 2024, and Victoria’s Secret aims to rebrand itself from the “skinny reigned supreme” impression the public has of them.

“Tonight, on the runway, it’s all about the women.” The show was opened by a top model and a previous frequent wearer of Victoria’s Secret angel wings, Tyra Banks. Other high-profile Angels such as Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Kate Moss, and the Hadid Sisters, joined Banks. To keep its promise of inclusivity, several plus-sized models were featured on the runway, such as Ashley Graham and Paloma Elsesser. However, the show still received a backlash from the media. The scarce diversity and body inclusivity shown are criticized for being performative, a tokenism, and the show is ultimately still sexist with a “thin ideal” just like the old days, wrapped under the guise of women’s empowerment.

As Body Diversity Continues to be Limited in The Fashion Industry…

It is important to reflect on what message we are bringing to society. Rather than promoting an unrealistic and detrimental beauty standard, shouldn’t we focus more on education around body acceptance and learning to find beauty within our natural selves?