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Former Model Admits Women in the Industry Stuff Underwear With Sandbags in Order to Be a “Healthy” Weight
In an effort to fight anorexia, a new law was passed that requires runway models to meet the minimum weight requirement. If they don’t, they can’t walk down the runway — but it seems as though this rule is doing more harm than good.
In an op-ed piece for the ‘New Yorker Observer,’ former model Jennifer Sky opens up about the brutal truths of the fashion industry.
Model at Fashion Week, not the woman discussed in this piece.
“I spoke with a model, let’s call her Lauren, who participated in Spanish Fashion Week shortly after their new ‘anti-skinny’ law was passed,” she said. “[Lauren said] ‘I did Fashion Week in Spain after they enforced a similar law and agencies found a loophole. They gave us Spanx underwear to stuff with weighted sandbags so the thinnest of girls had a ‘healthy’ weight on the scales. I even saw them put weights in their hair.'”
Agencies can face upwards of $80,000 in fines for breaking these rules and employing underweight models — but clearly have found ways to get around the regulations.
“Modeling agencies hold a huge amount of responsibility,” Jennifer added.
But is the law even fair? The model went on to explain that she feels it’s “discriminatory and misguided” because people come in all shapes and sizes, and being thin doesn’t mean you have an eating disorder.
“I weighed 115 pounds and was 5’7 and a 1/2. I exercised regularly and really loved to eat Subway veggie sandwiches and drink McDonald’s vanilla milkshakes. I was not anorexic or starving,” she said, adding that according to today’s standards, she would’ve been considered underweight.
