Milan fashion protest

This poster, from Italian brand Nolita has all but eclipsed the goings-on on the catwalk at Milan Fashion Week, along with the requirement for girls to carry medical certificates in what has been seen as the start of a heroin chic backlash. With a governmental study into model health underway in London, will the rest of the world follow suit?

Shot by fashion photographer Oliviero Toscani, famous for the Benetton’s controversial ad campaigns of the 80s and 90s, the image has raised designer hackles in Italy. Despite brand owners Flash & Partners denial that they are using shock tactics to sell clothes with an assertion that they are aiming to raise awareness of the illness and the part fashion images may have in perpetuating it, style stalwarts Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have hit back, telling the press that eating disorders have “nothing to do with fashion”, while Giorgio Armani has reportedly also rubbished allegations that the industry is to blame.

The debate is raging both on and off the runway. Undeniably, clothes look better on a slim frame and designers show their work to the press and buyers in small sample sizes. A move towards a healthier look however, say a 38 rather than 34 perhaps would surely not make an enormous difference? It seems it's time for shock tactics.

Read the full story on guardianunlimited.co.uk

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