The View: Kirstie Clements, The Vogue Factor Review, Eating Disorders

The View: The Vogue Factor Review

With about 10 million American women suffering from eating disorders, of course the scapegoat would be the fashion industry. If you think the female population of the average American public has it bad, though, wait until you hear what the models are doing. Kirstie Clements, former editor of Vogue Australia and author of The Vogue Factor, made an appearance on The View to tell of the self-torture, starvation, surgical procedures, and other extreme measures that some models in the fashion industry go to, all under the pressure of the higher ups.

The View: What Is Paris Thin?

Paris Thin was a term coined for Australian models that wanted to walk the Paris catwalks. Whereas they seemed relatively healthy on the Australian fashion circuit, the move to Paris required them to drop at least two dress sizes from their already slender frames. Exposed ribs and arms that make toothpicks look like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s biceps by comparison were the result. This isn’t a just an Australian phenomenon, however. This is a disturbing worldwide trend that shows little to no sign of slowing down. The question is, who is to blame?

The View: Fashion Model Runway Secrets

Barbara Walters thought was that the editors of fashion magazines like Vogue that are saying “thinner, thinner, thinner!” were to blame for this worldwide trend, but Kristie Clements disagreed. Clements viewed the problem on a grander scale, starting on the runways and then slithering its way into other outlets of the fashion industry. She believes it starts here because of the outrageously small sizes of the samples worn on the runways. Already tall girls are being asked to make themselves fit into a two or even a zero, and the things they do to get there might make your stomach turn.

The View: Models With Eating Disorders

As a caveat, Kristie Clements did want to mention that not every model is this thin or doing the things that these eensy models are doing. There are those that take the high road. However, those that are taking the dangerous route to a slender frame are paying quite a high price. While at a dinner with a New York agent a few years ago, Clements was told that models were resorting to eating tissues (you read that right), and some had been hospitalized.

During a three-day Vogue shoot, Kristie witnessed yet more insidious weight-loss techniques. One model essentially did not eat for the entirety of the shoot, snacking on corners of other people’s food or simply not eating at all. After calling the agency to report the suspected eating disorder, the agency dismissed the idea immediately, suggesting that it was probably just a stomach flu. By the last shoot, the model could barely keep her eyes open and was even laid out at one point.

The View: Vogue Health Initiative

Despite how bad this all sounds–and it really is as bad as it sounds–there appears to have been some strides made in fixing this problem. Some American agencies won’t hire unhealthy-looking models. Vogue Australia recently took a stand by signing on to a health initiative vowing to not use any models that have eating disorders. It doesn’t, according to Clements, doesn’t come down to policing the model, however. Ultimately, it will come down to policing the industry and the image it’s portraying.