Rosemary Masic is an Australian designer who runs the fashion label Nevenka.
Whilst current trends have seen more and more people push for larger models/sizes in the fashion industry, Rosemary Masic has come out as supporting the other team.
She has announced that she will be capping her clothing range at a size 14, believing that anything above that endorses an unhealthy lifestyle.
‘I am very passionate about life and serious about health,’ said Rosemary, ‘it is the most important thing we have and we should respect and look after our bodies. Size 16 and size 18 is not a healthy size to be.’
The major problem with this is that, like the UK, Australia’s average woman is a size 14/16.
This means Nevenka will not cater for the majority of the nation – and will therefore only appeal to a minority.
This brass statement by Rosemary Masic is somewhat contradictory however, as it will still stock a size 6 – which can probably be seen as equally unhealthy.
By stocking extremely low sizes, the brand will be endorsing a different form of unhealthy lifestyle.
Although Rosemary Masic is solidly stating that this decision is for people’s health, people in the medical industry have differing opinions.
‘We live in a society that is obsessed with thinness,’ said Julie Parker of the Butterfly Foundation – a support group for those with body issues, ‘often people mistakenly believe you must be thin to be healthy. There are many women above a size 14 who are very healthy.’
This creates the environment where women who are larger sizes who are constantly seeing stick-thin models will impact their own self-esteem.
This is because brands are effectively saying you are not the person we see wearing our brand – all because of size. This makes women with low self-esteem feel like they are not attractive enough or thin enough to wear that brand.
What with so many improvements in the industry that are catering for plus sizes, Nevenka is running a large risk of ostracizing itself from a huge majority of potential customers.
Apart from that, what yet again remains under the carpet is that the fashion industry has been advocating size 0 models and extra small size clothing for decades – without any reflection (until recently) on the negative health externalities that will be produced among its followers.
Now that that is set to change, companies have all of a sudden found their moral compass regarding health issues?
Seems like a very weak argument to me.
i would like to see some supportive research to back up this claim. all i’ve ever heard when it comes to modeling are the terms “crash-diet”, “eating disorder” “substance abuse” and deaths by association to the aforementioned ailments.
so it would stand to reason that a model who is allowed to eat (as long as she maintains a healthy diet and lifestyle) is a beautiful and inspiring thing. it would seem that she would be posted on a pedestal for promoting positive body image and self esteem to those easily influenced by what they see and hear.
to say that a plus sized model is a health threat is ridiculous. suddenly your daughter will WANT to eat her dinner so that she can look like the beauties of old. elizabeth taylor, bettie page, mae west and marilyn monroe, and the new beauties making appearances where ignorance does not forbid-like ashley graham, chloe marshal, and whitney thompson (who was the first plus sized model to win “america’s next top model”). not puke it up before bed to look like kate moss. suddenly beautiful clothing will be available to the girl who, prior to now, was ridiculed for being a size 10 or, GOD FORBID, larger than that!
there are people in this world who were simply not meant to wear clothing in single digit sizing. as long as we encourage our children to have healthy and active lifestyles, i see no threat from a fuller body being in their magazine. i look forward to it!!