Catwalk Curves: Back to Marilyn Monroe – Part 1

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Marilyn was THE style icon of the 50’s and beyond. She’s still the most admired figure from a different era with the most appealing body. Apart from her contribution to the fashion industry, she is, to many- the IDEAL woman, the IDEAL icon AND the IDEAL model. And yet she was 5ft 5½ and a size 10! So why is it now that the ideal is to be an unhealthy size ZERO imposed by the fashion industry?

It is hard for many young girls and women to relate to the image given on the catwalk. Yes these models are stunning and have amazingly striking looks. However when some have starved themselves for the sake of the catwalk, this is a concern. What message is this sending out?

Marilyn was beautiful, and was happy with her shape. Young women should be happy with themselves too if they are fit, healthy and curvaceous. After all having curves and a voluptuous shape is a women’s asset, and certainly did Marilyn no harm! I’m sure you’ll agree that there is a space in the catwalk to be filled – hopefully one day by models with curves.

Plus size doesn’t mean fat size, it can mean however being healthy and GORGEOUS which was what Marilyn was. Many assume that a plus size model shouldn’t be on the catwalk. But why not? Having curves does not mean you have to be obscenely ‘plus size’. Plus size is a label that is used incorrectly. There are plenty of models who are not anorexic, not a size zero nor are they plus size, but instead are simply SLIM. So where do they fit in?…

London Fashion Week brought in size 12-14 models for the first time last year as a result of designer Mark Fast’s decision to use models. This caused a stir that resulted in Fast losing his stylist. On the other hand, it did also receive a lot of positive feedback too. This action has opened a crack in the door that has been kept shut for a long while…

Last year even Vogue editor Shulman wrote to top designers asking for larger-sized clothes for the magazine’s photo shoots. “We have now reached the point where many of the sample sizes don’t comfortably fit even the established star models,” she wrote. Designers such as Roland Mouret agreed with her views. “Back in the 1980s, when supermodels were several sizes larger than top models today, the clothes worked on bigger bodies.”

Just like Marilyn, the average UK women’s dress size is NOT represented by what we see on the catwalk. Her pin-up curves made her a UNIVERSAL object of DESIRE that stole many men’s hearts! Her shape made EVERY outfit she wore SEXY, GLAMOUROUS and CLASSY. Men wanted her, women wanted to be like her. Reputed for her intellect by those around her, she certainly knew the POWER of her CURVES.

So SUPERSTAR MAGAZINE readers, my question to you is, would YOU like to see CURVES on the CATWALK?

Eve-Yasmine Saoud-Easton