Photo: imaxtree
Last week Ali Michael revealed on the Today show she wasn’t healthy at the height of her runway career in Paris. Owing to a staggering 28-pound weight loss to get down to just 102 pounds, Michael’s hair started falling out and she hadn’t had her period in more than a year. While many were thinking, “Poor Ali! Evil fashion industry!” casting director Douglas Perret, who writes the blog Confessions of a Casting Director, had a different response:
Probably not. But this post and Michael has inspired many other models to speak up in the comments section.
One writes:
As a model myself, I haven’t gotten my period in 10 months and I felt guilty about eating a half a sandwich for lunch. It scares the crap out of me.
Another writes:
i’m a model and at 5’11 and 115 pounds i haven’t had my period in about a year. it was so jarring to hear her say that.
And another, who’s “battled every type of issue for 5 years”:
Many other commenters point out some people are just naturally tall and lanky. And many more are pretty angry about what Perret had to say. Still, it’s hard to imagine anything changing until someone like Karl Lagerfeld or Marc Jacobs starts routinely casting 130-pound girls.
Off Season: Ali Michael [Confessions of a Casting Director]
Related: Model Ali Michael on ‘Today:’ ‘I Hadn’t Had My Period in Over a Year
