Ned Sonntag
Outermost Hoodoo Doctor
THE "real" models who defied Australian Fashion Week organisers to show off their curves in skimpy swimwear have spoken out about their catwalk triumph.
A 30-year-old nurse and a size-12 uni student said they proved you didn't have to be stick thin to be beautiful.
Body image experts applauded MaraJoara designers Leesa Fogarty and Hamish Stewart for using everyday Australians in their swimwear parade.
The move also prompted a huge response from Herald Sun readers, who congratulated the pair for ditching skinny waifs for more realistic models.
Ms Fogarty, who battled anorexia as a teenager, said she wept with joy after Wednesday night's catwalk show.
Fashion Week organisers IMG threw the show into jeopardy early on Wednesday after advising Ms Fogarty to use professional models.
But the designers stood their ground and the show featured size 8-12 models.
Stephanie Campbell, a nurse at the Royal Children's Hospital, said the experience was amazing.
"I thought all the girls looked gorgeous," Ms Campbell, 30, of Fitzroy, said.
Sunshine Coast university student Linda Schmid, 24, said it was great to model alongside average-sized women who were confident with their bodies.
"I'm really worried about women out there who just want to get skinnier and skinner -- it's just not healthy," the size 12 said.
East Doncaster secondary student Bianca De Maria, 14, said she showed younger girls they don't have to be anorexic to get up on a catwalk.
IMG Fashion Asia Pacific managing director Simon Lock was critical of the parade, saying the focus was on the models, not the clothes.
Mr Lock said his objection related to the models' lack of experience, not their dress size.
"When we all saw the walk-throughs . . . we were a little concerned about the poses they were striking on the catwalk and some of the antics," he said.
But Ms Fogarty said she had been overwhelmed by positive feedback about the parade.
"A woman came up to me in the street and embraced me," she laughed.
"She said, 'what you did last night was great'."
The Sydney-based designer said she struggled with eating disorders until she was 17.
"If we can throughout the life of our swimwear brand make a girl feel positive and happy about her body, then that's a wonderful thing," she said.
Claire Vickery, CEO of eating disorder support group the Butterfly Foundation, said it was a victory for the average-sized Australian woman.
"I think it's fantastic," she said. "Congratulations to the designer for sticking to it."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20372988-5008720,00.html
Real women declare a triumph
Carla Danaher
September 08, 2006 12:00am
Ms Vickery said marketing to real women made good business sense.
"She's got to sell that product. If she made bathers that only looked good on a size six she'd go out of business," she said.
Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria spokeswoman Frances Sanders said it was good to see real women on the catwalk, but it didn't go far enough.
"The average body size for an Australian woman is 14. The fashion industry needs far more than Leesa Fogarty's models to become truly everyday Australians," she said.
More than 100 readers posted feedback on the Herald Sun website over the debate, most praising the designers.
A 30-year-old nurse and a size-12 uni student said they proved you didn't have to be stick thin to be beautiful.
Body image experts applauded MaraJoara designers Leesa Fogarty and Hamish Stewart for using everyday Australians in their swimwear parade.
The move also prompted a huge response from Herald Sun readers, who congratulated the pair for ditching skinny waifs for more realistic models.
Ms Fogarty, who battled anorexia as a teenager, said she wept with joy after Wednesday night's catwalk show.
Fashion Week organisers IMG threw the show into jeopardy early on Wednesday after advising Ms Fogarty to use professional models.
But the designers stood their ground and the show featured size 8-12 models.
Stephanie Campbell, a nurse at the Royal Children's Hospital, said the experience was amazing.
"I thought all the girls looked gorgeous," Ms Campbell, 30, of Fitzroy, said.
Sunshine Coast university student Linda Schmid, 24, said it was great to model alongside average-sized women who were confident with their bodies.
"I'm really worried about women out there who just want to get skinnier and skinner -- it's just not healthy," the size 12 said.
East Doncaster secondary student Bianca De Maria, 14, said she showed younger girls they don't have to be anorexic to get up on a catwalk.
IMG Fashion Asia Pacific managing director Simon Lock was critical of the parade, saying the focus was on the models, not the clothes.
Mr Lock said his objection related to the models' lack of experience, not their dress size.
"When we all saw the walk-throughs . . . we were a little concerned about the poses they were striking on the catwalk and some of the antics," he said.
But Ms Fogarty said she had been overwhelmed by positive feedback about the parade.
"A woman came up to me in the street and embraced me," she laughed.
"She said, 'what you did last night was great'."
The Sydney-based designer said she struggled with eating disorders until she was 17.
"If we can throughout the life of our swimwear brand make a girl feel positive and happy about her body, then that's a wonderful thing," she said.
Claire Vickery, CEO of eating disorder support group the Butterfly Foundation, said it was a victory for the average-sized Australian woman.
"I think it's fantastic," she said. "Congratulations to the designer for sticking to it."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20372988-5008720,00.html
Real women declare a triumph
Carla Danaher
September 08, 2006 12:00am
Ms Vickery said marketing to real women made good business sense.
"She's got to sell that product. If she made bathers that only looked good on a size six she'd go out of business," she said.
Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria spokeswoman Frances Sanders said it was good to see real women on the catwalk, but it didn't go far enough.
"The average body size for an Australian woman is 14. The fashion industry needs far more than Leesa Fogarty's models to become truly everyday Australians," she said.
More than 100 readers posted feedback on the Herald Sun website over the debate, most praising the designers.
