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The CFDA Will Address the Skinny Model-Issue. Again.

Coco RochaPhoto: Patrick McMullan

Tonight the CFDA will hold a panel discussion about model health. They can’t get enough of this stuff, you know? This time, designers Diane Von Furstenberg and Michael Kors and model Coco Rocha will speak. Well in advance of September Fashion Week, the CFDA wants to show the world they still care about this issue and that that concern is genuine. Furstenberg and CFDA executive director Stephen Kolb were surprised by the negative reactions when they first issued model health guidelines two years ago. Kolb told WWD:

“It got so much negative press … that we weren’t doing enough, that we weren’t considering body mass index … Everybody should recognize that there is a certain aesthetic that designers are looking for to show clothes, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of someone’s life and health. It’s not about a debate on whether fashion is good or bad, but about our industry having a dialogue about how we can be and should be more responsible.”

So the goal isn’t really to change the toothpick aesthetic, it’s to be sure that only natural toothpicks are working the runways. But maybe what the CFDA doesn’t realize is that some folks want to see the industry promote a different aesthetic. Ain’t nothing wrong with naturally skinny minnies, but there also ain’t nothing wrong with girls of a size that won’t beg questions about their health.

CFDA to Discuss Model Health [WWD]

The CFDA Will Address the Skinny Model-Issue. Again.