i-deal
the female form
SPRING 2017
B B
L U R R E A U PHOTOGRAPHY FASHION DIRECTOR ABI SCOTT
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E T
D Y
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“Being Being
a a
woman is not one thing. woman is everything.”
NATALIE YANG
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DOES THE FASHION INDUSTRY STILL HAVE AN IMAGE PROBLEM? In the midst of female empowerment and model activists, a demand for representation of all body types within the fashion industry has never been more prevalent. Are we beginning to see a change in the way the industry portrays the female body? i-deal 6
In a media-dominated society, we are all inundated with images of women edited to perfection, fuelling negative body image and self-loathing amongst many. But with such powerful influence, we must recognise the impact our imagery has on people, and help to empower rather than discourage. Its 2017, and now more than ever, it is apparent that woman want to see body ideals in fashion that represents the diversity of the population, not just
one body type. It is no secret that the fashion industry has glorified unrealistic body ideals for a very long time, but everyone is different. Researching into female body image concerns, i-deal found that women believe the media and fashion industry is the biggest contributor in creating body insecurity. Even with feminism currently at the forefront of the industry, women are still engaged with trying to cope with culturally induced body insecurities.
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Body image concern is a very sensitive issue that is not going to be resolved easily, but we must not ignore the people who are using their position in the industry to challenge and change existing ideologies. A new generation of model activists are paving the way to a diverse future for body image. Rebekah Shirely (rebekahshirley95) is a 21-year-old model from Northern Ireland. As an avid social media user, Rebekah uses these platforms such as Instagram to
encourage her followers to love and embrace their bodies and to promote diversity, using hashtag #allbodies. Also former Miss Northern Ireland, Rebekah believes that the industry is becoming more diverse “There has been a definite change in the way the industry portrays the female body, more woman are representing those who don’t have a 24-inch-waist.” And is certain the industry can do more to challenge existing ideals, “There has been a positive shift in the
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industry’s attitude regarding body image, but I think we need to do more.” It would be wrong to say there is no diversity on the catwalk, but when push comes to shove, there is still a consistency of white, skinny models hitting the runway. But while it might seem like the industry is still in a bad place, we really are starting to see change led from the ground up. Analysis from The Fashion Spot has shown that for the first time, more than 25 percent of the model castings for NYFW were non-white. 74.6 percent of the models cast were white and 25.4 percent were women of colour. Although this is still only a small increase from last season when 75.3 percent of the models were white, SS17 has proven to be the most diverse fashion month in recent history, with NYFW also featuring all of this season’s 16 plus size models. Designers are the puppeteers of the industry,
and its not just about the design anymore, but who is representing that design. As we are fast approaching the shows of AW17, it is imperative the diversity of models within this season is higher than ever. It is undeniable that models are under pressure to adhere to such demanding body standards set by their agencies. With the new wave of curvy and plus size models like Ashley Graham and Tess Holiday, it is important to remember that ‘thin’ models do not become the enemy. Even Bella Hadid has been attacked for her slimphysique, the industry’s glorified body ideal, after landing a campaign deal with Nike. Comments have included “Nike? She’s not an athlete but more importantly it’s giving young girls unrealistic expectations yet again.” Critics have questioned Bella’s body image, saying her body is too skinny to represent an
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athletic brand, causing a storm over the topic of body image. Anyone can wear and enjoy sports attire, bodyshaming women of any shape and size is wrong. The fashion industries body ideal should not be thin bodies, curvy bodies or plus-size bodies. It is all bodies. As an industry, it is our responsibility to make sure models and consumers stay healthy, whatever their body image. Model’s are not the only people in the industry striving for a change in the representation of women. Photographer Ashley Armitage portrays realistic, Photoshop free depiction of the female form within her imagery, pushing the boundaries of beauty standards further, shooting stretch marks, scars, spots and more. “The female form is a landscape. I love folds and creases and fat and hair and pimples and softness.” Photoshop distorts our minds into believing stretch marks and cellulite are only a myth, but with this new paradigm of photography, the female body is shown in a natural way, discarding
Photoshop and false beauty. This year sees the release of ‘Straight/Curve’, a documentary exploring current trends around female body image and showcasing the people fighting to redefine the unrealistic standards of beauty. Director and filmmaker Jenny McQaile sheds light on the discrimination of models who do not fit the ‘Size 0’ category, and opens the minds of those who aren’t so accepting of diversity, “Real change is happening right now, and it is snowballing.” The industry is facing an exciting new revolution and with more recognition of the matter emerging, people are no longer afraid to speak their minds as they challenge the ingrained body standards set by the industry. The fashion industry is evolving, and existing perceptions of the female body are becoming broader as we see a variety of body shapes representing everyone. Fashion is not about exploiting insecurity. People want to see a variety of real bodies they can relate to, and as an industry, we will empower this.
"There has been a positive shift in the industry’s attitude regarding body image, but I think we need to do more.” REBEKAH SHIRELY
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