Vogue's healthier image

Earlier in May Vogue announced that starting with their June 2012 issue, they will make serious efforts to promote a healthier body image. The magazine promises to turn down models under the age of 17 and anyone with an obvious eating disorder.  “Vogue editors around the world want the magazines to reflect their commitment to the health of the models who appear on the pages and the well-being of their readers.” 



The announcement about Vogue’s underage models included a “six point pact,” covering many of the issues surrounding models and health in general. In the pact, the property promises:

“1. We will not knowingly work with models under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder. We will work with models who, in our view, are healthy and help to promote a healthy body image.

“2. We will ask agents not to knowingly send us underage girls and casting directors to check IDs when casting shoots, shows and campaigns.

“3. We will help to structure mentoring programs where more mature models are able to give advice and guidance to younger girls, and we will help to raise industry-wide awareness through education, as has been integral to the Council of Fashion Designers of America Health Initiative.

“4. We will encourage producers to create healthy backstage working conditions, including healthy food options and a respect for privacy. We will encourage casting agents not to keep models unreasonably late.

“5. We encourage designers to consider the consequences of unrealistically small sample sizes of their clothing, which limits the range of women who can be photographed in their clothes, and encourages the use of extremely thin models.

“6. We will be ambassadors for the message of healthy body image.

I guess we won't be seeing anymore of this-

This is Thylane Loubry Blondeau in French Vogue last year. Thylane is 10 and looking anything but child like. I think the obvious question when looking at these is where is the line?....and what was the message the magazine is sending? Thylane's mother told a French newspaper, "The only thing that shocks me about the photo is the necklace that she's wearing, which is worth 3 million Euros."

This is not a new story - At 15, Brooke Shields appeared in the iconic 1980 ads for Calvin Klein which ran with the tag line:

"You wanna know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing."

More recent examples include Dakota Fanning's 2011 campaign for LOLA purfume which was banned in the UK



Dakota's sister- Elle Fanning for Marc Jacobs Fall 2011 at age 13







Haliee Steinfeld's ad for Fall 2011 Mui Mui at age 14 also banned in the UK







so ANYWAY!
Can't wait to see what Vogue has for us in June
<3 Molz