Major labels say they will honour ban on underage and size zero models at Paris Fashion week
Although the new charter isn’t industry wide and some designers are resisting it, campaigners are hopeful the new rules are a step in the right direction
Labels from Givenchy to Saint Laurent showed off their new designs at Paris Fashion Week, alongside another innovation meant to wean the industry off its association with unhealthily thin and underage models.
All said they were honouring a new charter by their parent companies LVMH and Kering, setting age and size limits for the people parading their clothes – a timely development say campaigners, who want it to spread even further.
French fashion giants LVMH and Kering ban ultra-thin models
“I’ve seen a lot of girls with eating disorders ... [the charter] helps them from harming their bodies to fit the standard,” says model Danielle Ellsworth, 20, as she prepares for Christian Dior’s show.
Two years ago, Dior, part of LVMH, made waves by picking a 14-year-old for the catwalk – the new charter only allows people older than 16 to display adult clothes.
LVMH and Kering will also no longer use models smaller than the French size 34 for women and 44 for men, meaning the United States’ infamous “size zero” – equivalent to a French 32 – is out.
