It’s my runway show and I will use whoever I want to!
Looks like the fashion world might be turned on its feet once again, not because of what’s necessarily showing on the runway but because who’s being used to strut down the runway…
styleite: “Looks like some young’ns are cast in the Marc Jacobs show. Best not tell @CFDA,” Eric Wilson of the New York Times tweeted last night. Marc’s response? I can do whatever I want, thankyouverymuch.
According to an article by Wilson today, at least two of the models who walked in Jacobs’ show were younger than 16. Last month Diane von Furstenberg sent out a letter to reenforce the CFDA‘s recommendation that 16 be the absolute minimum age for runway models during New York Fashion Week. A dozen agencies signed a pledge agreeing to keep underage girls (and boys) off the catwalk, though Ford Models did not.
Interesting. The industry is pushing for mandates while industry members are going against the mandates. Should that surprise anyone? How long have we all been hearing that the industry ought to show ‘healthy’ looking models when in actuality they keep getting thinner and thiner. Even the lines on the clothes racks are re sized to give the impression of thinner. Then again, Marc Jacobs raises an interesting idea:
“I do the show the way I think it should be and not the way somebody tells me it should be. If their parents are willing to let them do a show, I don’t see any reason that it should be me who tells them that they can’t…There are children actors and children models for catalogs and stuff, so I guess if a parent thinks it’s O.K. and a kid wants to do it, it’s fine.”
Surely Mark, it’s fine for you to design what you wish but let’s get real. This is a woman’s line. Children are not women. They are children. No matter how high the heels you put them in. Why sexualize children? Aren’t there enough 16, 17, 18 year old models that are just dying to appear in your shows? Must a 14 year old already come off a fashion harlot to appease your aesthetic rights?
Cast were 14 year old Thairine Garcia and 15 year old Ondria Hardin.
Those girls are very rare. And most likely very paid. if your 15 from the depths of Yugoslavia and your family needs money to survive in the thick tundra you should be able to walk down a runway and buy a apartment in queens with the loot.
BB- I’m always looking to hire copy editing interns if you are interested as I admittedly make the odd spelling/grammatical mistake. But frankly if you allow me BB, it would not matter if Marc was spelt with a Z, X or a K-the issues remain the same: please let’s not sexualize children.
It’s Marc Jacobs. With a C. I would suggest you check your spelling or at least do some research on the designer before getting on the podium.