“Plus-Size” Models Walk the Runway at London Fashion Week
February 23, 2010 in Body Type and Clothes, Crystal Renn, Hot Models, Skinny Versus Curvy by Versus
Remember THIS STORY?
The same designer that was abandoned by some of his team for using bigger models last year is back – this time, Mark Fast used a bunch of (some call them “plus-size”, some call them “real-size”) non-skinny models during his show at 2010 London Fashion Week, who walked the runway together with the skinny, typical models.
As his representatives said before, the idea behind this initiative is to show that…
“We wanted women to know they didn’t have to be a size zero to wear a Mark Fast dress – curvier women can look even better in them.”
Hmm… I don’t really get their message when looking at these pictures. Facts are, these extra tight and stretchy, knitwear dresses in nude tones aren’t extremely flattering on these size 12 models. Even more, it looks like the dresses are a bit too tight (on the arms, bust) and the underwear / stockings they wear underneath are not the best choices either.
I bet that these size 12 girls could have looked really great in dresses with more structure or in any classic silhouette designs.
What are your thoughts?
See more shots from this fashion show after the jump!
Very unflattering styling. Like you said Versus, would have looked great in structures pieces. I’m a zero and if I have a big dinner I can’t even wear a body-con dress that night!!
why can’t they just use the sizes in between as well?….
and it does look unflattering indeed
took the words out of my mouth! thats the only reason i clicked on here, to say that! although i do actually think these girls are ‘normal’ sized but i think they are not dressed in the best clothes. i feel its like they were trying to make them look worse. everyone has that stance ‘fat girls dont belong on the runway’ (the fashion industry does anyway). i reckon they could look good in different clothes. this is going to sound catty, but i feel that they arent necessarily the best looking plus sizes models either. like, the weight doesnt hold too well on them. some people it really does!
Little j- yupe exactly! get the little tummy pooch happening then no matter what size!
Proves what I already knew: No matter what kind of body you put Mark Fast dresses on they look atrocious.
Oh good lord. What hideous clothes! Who would feel comfortable wearing something that highlights every tiny little pocket of fat?? I bet they’re really toned “plus size” models, just squeezed into unflattering clothes which makes them look alot bigger. I would refuse to walk down a runway looking like that. Poor girls.
Those dresses are atrocious! Not flattering!
I don’t really understand. These would look fine if the size were bigger, or they didn’t have a pair of tights on pulling them in at the waist to create that weird line. If you want to cover their legs, why not use hold ups?
It’s just very strange, especially paired with that message.
if you don’t listen and just judge on actions i would say he is trying to prove that models HAVE to be skinny. these girls are in dresses, at least two sizes too small. you can see the line of their underwear, which you can’t on the skinny girls, in fact its not something you ever see on a professionally styled catwalk. they are also wearing inapproprate underwear, several of those girls need bras immediatley!!
while i appreciate your point that they might look good in stuctured clothes, a model should look good in all clothes. which is why a size 8-10 would be more appropriate to make the point, but i still say he styled them to look bad, and done right they could have held their own against the skinny girls.
no matter what they say, the fashion world is not listening. their actions say it all.
wow, well said. tho if you squeezed skinny models in to clothes 2 sizes too small (i know, i know, they wouldnt make that size but just trying to make a point), then you would see their underwear lines and bones and even lumps and bumps sticking out in random places
Ugh, yes the dresses were unflattering on the fuller models, but believe it or not, the clothes made the skinniest models on the runway look lumpy too. As Ann said, it’s Marks designs that look atrocious. There was a problem with fit all around in that collection, so why point out just the plus girls.
According to inside sources, the assistants who work for Mark to dress the models get upset because he picks “fat ones”. And one season a bunch of people stormed out cause they didnt like the size of the models he chose …
Personally, I prefer models like Eniko- still slim, but more feminine and athletic.
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/4832/22706932.jpg
the models are hot the close are ugly and the colors too
To be honest, I’m kinda sick of the whole Overweight= Curvy. Curvy= Healthy thing that has been going on lately. I mean why can’t we just have healthy slim models who look like they eat healthily and exercise but not emaciated. Why do models have to be either a size zero or a size 12-14?
Lumps are not attractive or healthy & those dresses do nothing but emphasize them (not what normal sized women are looking for!!)
uh, you can be totally healthy and be a size 12, depending on your build and eating habits and metabolism and genetics. i think the problem is when a size 2 model or actress gains 5 lbs and people on sites like this call them huge and fat. that’s not fat, and neither is size 8 or 10. and yes, of course you can also be an unhealthy size 12. it’s when you get up into size 16, size 20 that it’s harder to defend a person’s healthiness.
The dresses do not look nice on these girls imho… They are way too tight? Perhaps at least one size bigger would have fit better, but even then. Not all clothes look good on the same size. Some styles are more flattering on curvy girls, and others on skinnier girls. I’m not convinced by this look at all!
extremely disagreeing with what everyone is commenting on.
he is making a statement, is he not? bigger girls can look nice on the runway too. why change the design? that isn’t the point. he is challenging our own perception of what looks good and what doesn’t which is a societal construct regardless- thus is up for change and probably needs to.
in our current social climate however, the skinnier girls look better. all the time. whether they are ugly or pretty, they look better than normal/curvier girls, at least to me anyway. i hope this changes, but i can’t imagine it happening quickly or even in my lifetime.
Good point – these are his designs and he has used really normal sized girls. The critique of his clothes designs is a different issue from the size of the models he uses.
other designers should have used models this size too – these women are such a great shape for models; they won’t sell his clothes because his clothes are…well…pretty horrible…but I bet they’d help sell a number of different designs.
I don’t really like his clothes, but I like the size of models he uses and they are great looking girls
Agreed 100%. These are his designs, atrocious or not. I mean come on, how many of those high fashion clothes we see on the runway can actually be worn? The only difference is that he is using a variety of shapes to show his dresses.
Why would bones sticking out look “hotter” than a little belly anyways?
I like the new site xD::..
ooh,noticed the format changed..i like:)
these clothes are horribly unflattering…i like that e wants to showcase sizes other than size zero, but give the models something that accentuates their figure…
Honestly—I don’t think those dresses would look good on anyone! Not flattering at all, I don’t care HOW skinny you are!
Wow, these models in these clothes look HIDEOUS!
Absolutely disgusting. I agree with the comment above that the designer did it on purpose to make a point about why fashion prefers skinny models.
His clothes look bad on the skinny models too. He’s just a horrible designer.
Surely part of a designers skillset must be to work with a womans figure, irrespective as to how slim or curvy she may be, in order to make her look beautiful in a garment. Failure to do so is simply poor design.
I agree.
I know some people are harping on abuot him ‘challenging our perceptions’ and these being his deisgns, but designers do typically work with a woman’s figure. I’ve seen designs for fuller figured women work with their shape and size to make the outfits more flaterring. You could say that i’m being ignorant in my perspective of what looks good on a plus size girl but to me these dresses look as though they are suffocating them and I wouldn’t be surprised if they had to be surgically removed from some of those dresses.
Clearly the only thing they did was squeeze bigger women in sample sizes. The dresses look like they’re about to burst. If they really cared about using plus sized models, wouldn’t they have created dresses that actually fit them?
I feel like this Mark is just taking advantage of the whole anti-skinny movement. At least these outfits are better than the last ones.
Ugh I’m starting to get annoyed with the whole let’s use bigger models to prove a point. If they’re going to use bigger models then why don’t they get bigger sample sizes? Or why not use a size 6-10 models that might still be fit enough to pull the clothes off?
These clothes by the way are truly hideous.
I think there is a reason that plus size models have never taken to the run way.. they look CRAP. the clothes don’t look right.. their fat jiggles. it’s just not meant to be. also its not creating a healthy image.. these women don’t look healthy… they look chubby!
everyone has fat. and it jiggles on everyone. including you.
i can say with almost absolute certainty that they are all with in a healthy body fat percentage…while some thinner models may not be. the only reason they don’t look healthy is due to bad styling.
your comment is just mean! i agree they the outfits don’t look great, but i actually think these women can look fantastic in something else. you don’t have to say they look like crap or that they are unhealthy and chubby, of which they are neither!
Maybe he’s just trying to reshape the mindset of his viewership. He’s not trying to hide the lumps and bumps, because, quite possibly, maybe he doesn’t see a thing wrong with them and wants ladies to realize that it’s all relative–a belly bump being “ugly” or “unflattering.” Some men do dig that. Extra curve not “unhealthy” and “gross” but rather another type of body that was envied back in the day. I don’t know. Beats me. I just love me some Crystal Renn.
Crystal Renn looks horrible,colorless and almost gaunt(yeah, yeah I’m sure a lot of you think she’s still fat).
she is still fat…but i do see the gauntness in her face
I don’t know about gaunt, but boy does she look tired! I mean most runway models seem to have this tired look, but she looks like she needs a nap ASAP.
I’m sorry but isn’t this the same designer from last year!!! Get it together brother cause these dresses look horrible and unflattering to say the least. I’m also starting to think that this is a ploy for publicity and very disingenuous. Stop making a big deal out of hiring plus size models….just keep it moving and let it be surprise when the show starts. Do you see Jean Paul Gaultier making a big deal out of hiring them wutevesss…..Boy Boo! Nexttttttt!
What Mark is not saying is a lot LOUDER than what he is saying to the press: that tight, body forming clothes has no place on the “average” girl’s body. What a bunch of crap. If he really wanted to make his point, then like everyone else on this forum said, he could have designed more flattering clothes or at the very least, not squeezed the models into too-tight sample sizes. I’m sick of this whole hypocrisy because it is becoming increasingly clear that Mark is trying to profit from this whole “average size” debate by expanding his clientele. But who would want to wear his clothes after such a terrible, terrible showing?
Is it just me or do these models not look like a size 12? They don’t look overweight or “plus size” at all…more like a size 6. And yes the dresses are very unflattering.
Well, they’re only about…eh…5′ 11”! So, obviously a size 12 is much smaller on them than it would be one someone who’s 5′ 3”.
Yeah, it’s due to the height. If they were 5ft2 instead of 5ft10 they’d probably be the equivilent of a size 8.
I personally don’t think any of them are ‘fat’, just not in the best shape so the tight garments don’t particularly flatter their figures.
They don’t look like a size 12 to me either, but I wouldn’t go as far as a six either….they look like an 8 or 10…but the thing is that these women are really tall, most people that are their size look way fatter.
the blonde girl on the left in the longer dress looks good! so does the dark skinned girl- she has a great bod!
Real size is good … time to back to reality
Wait, I dont know if I agree – all I see are lumps everywhere – personally I dont find that attractive at all. The clothing is too tight…. very unflattering.
those models look sick
I just want to roll my eyes looking at these pictures. It’s almost like the designer is trying to say that plus-sized models shouldn’t be on the runway by making them look atrocious.
For one thing – there’s no make-up or hair? (Well, that goes for all the models – not just the larger ones.) And, as everyone before me has said, who in their right minds decided that these dresses should be put on these girls?
Oh, and one more thing – while a skinny size zero model may not need a bra, these size 12 models DEFINITELY do.
agree
I think the blonde one on the right definitely need a bra…but the other ones don’t seem to have more boobs than the average model.
That is so wrong. Besides the fact that these dresses are just plain ugly, the fit is all wrong. Their bodies are squeezed into them like sausages. The color combined with the fit makes all of them look frumpy. Women like Doutzen, Jennifer Lopez, and Beyonce show how awesome curvy women can look, especially when dressed for their body.
And what’s with the makeup that makes their faces look gaunt? A little cheekbone definition is fine, but shouldn’t they look more fresh faced?
I wonder why plus sized models never have any muscle tone.
Because their muscles are covered by a small layer of fat.
These dresses don’t look good on curvy girls. They emphasise their flaws, although I always thought that a good dress should emphasise your assets.. They all look flat chested, though they are not!
Bad work… I guess the intention of the show was to prove that all girls can look good, regardless of their sizes, but this attempt just failed.
They don’t seem overweight or fat or flabby to me. Just not wearing the right size. And as someone said, put dresses to small on really skinny models, and you will still have lumps. Or bones,it depends. I wish some people would understand that skinny does not automatically imply healthy. But this discussion went down numerous times, so whatever…
The normal size women look great. I wish I could look like that if I gained up to their size, they’re comPACT.
But the dresses – sooooooooooo f ugly. The desginer should be arrested for repeated fashion crimes.
hypocrites!
they just want us to see that they don’t look good in tight dresses actually
so we’ll say “skinny is better”
though i think the skinny model is a bit too skinny . I have to go with her. The “normal” models are totally not in shape .
I’ll go with the skinny model too, though I think she has it easier cause her dress is better.
Ugly dresses, beautiful women! I appreciate the sentiment, but I think the dresses are too small.
I’m glad he didn’t use morbidly obese people to prove his point. These look like healthy, regular girls. It’s good that he chose to include skinny models too. It takes all kinds.
I agree with padme.
I want to say – i don’t get the picture! Why they say about this woman to be plus-size. I see normal size woman. OK, let’s face it! Most of them not have a toned body. But a skinny girl it is the same. Because they are very tinn, we don’t see they muscle tone. The fine-visible line betwen muscle and skin it isn’t a toned one.
I say i agree with padme: i see to “healthy, regular girls”.
(note: to be healthy it isn’t necessary to be toned; but a good toned muscle helps to live healthier and longer)
To Versus
I see changes of style, templates… or it just seems to me?!
Yes, we changed the site a bit – it’s more functional and cleaner like this and I hope you guys like it!
It is more functional. Because several times i couldn’t acces it. And my browser was not damaged. Now the page is loading quickly and right away.
Also… You know what is the best for this site, you are the administrator.
Just don’t close it!
Have a nice day!
dresses are gross, no matter what size you are
is the dark haired girl Chrystal Renn? If it is, i’m wondering what has happened to her boobs? could just be the dress but she had a lot smaller bust than i’m used to seeing
chrystal renn looks like a zombie in the 1st pic.. the hair, the expression.. everything sucks about it o_O
and, I’m sorry, but for being “normal” girls they seem to have absolutely no breasts
they’re so flat in those horrible dresses
like we say in Germany, they look like stuffed sausages (presswurst)!
All of them look unhappy, not fresh and those dresses are ugly. Yeak. Really, I am not digging it at all.
At the same time, bigger girls…they are okay, but I would never call them more cury…they are just bigger, as it was said above: Where are the boobs (would also add bums and waists)?
that dress is not flattering.both dresses on both models look awful.
i have never seen uglier clothes in my life. the makeup is terrible, the hair is horrid and the undergarments (or lack thereof) used are just all horrid. He’s made the skinny model where something looser and made all the plus sized models where disgustingly fitted outfits, how is this supposed to make women feel better about themselves? And if it’s a statement he’s making, it’s a terrible one. the sixth picture is just plain BAD.
These pictures are pointles.. The models don’t look good at all. And those plus size models really need to go.. Ugh
The point is – you should have dressed size 12 models in size 12 dresses, not in size 2 or 4.
they look like sausages. :–(
i agree
I bet Mark is regreting this chance he gave to plus models! Are you guys REALLY sugesting he should have changed his collection/style of clothes/ his most famous dresses to fit what you think it’s better for curvier girls?
They are in the right sizes, this is how curvier girls look in his clothes, it’s not ugly, I think people it’s not used to see more curves.
He is the only designer to treat plus girls the way they wanted to be treated : The same pretty clothes in their sizes !
the designer knew very well what he was doing- he actually did realise that those dresses are waaay to small and unflattering and he also reached the goal he wanted- everybody is talking about him and he is becoming more and more famous. for exaple- i have never heared of him before… the point is- he wouldnt have got soo much attention, if the “bigger” models looked good in his clothes. imho, he doesnt give a damn about “healthy fashion world”.. just wants fame and money.. well, however, this is only what i think, i do not know the guy personally, so i cannot be absloutely sure, but- pretty sure i am
Those dresses are very unflattering, for the “plus-size” and “regular” sized models. Eww
if he was going to do this he could have at least gave them clothes in their sizes. it looks like he made them squeeze into sample sizes instead.
I love Crystal Renn!
I cannot believe that she’s considered to be a plus size model. It’s shocking.
is this a joke! those dresses look god awful on those women!!! they look like frumpy housewives in dress sizes far too small. The thing is, these women could have been styled very differently and look quite attractive.. im just really confused to be honest?!?
All this designer is proving is that NOBODY can look good in his shitty designs whether they are standard model size or plus size.
Who is he actually trying to sell these clothes to? The general styling and choice of models is dreadful. None of them look happy, healthy, confident or attractive. Plus size or otherwise I see only one girl who seems to have the right proportions/hip:waist ratio to make clothes like this look good. The others just look like average people you find in the supermarket.
I am all for larger sized ladies on the runway but that doesn’t mean that anyone over a size 6 can automatically model!
I’d love to see more women above the size of “0″ on the catwalk.
If only the dressed looked flattering. :/
They do look rather terrible.
They need someone who can dress them properly,
then it’ll give out a positive message that ‘Not only size 0 models were meant for the catwalk’.
The most striking thing about these pictures is how the designer is still trying to achieve the gaunt facial features of a size 0 model. In order for society to embrace a more healthy standard of beauty, we need to change our perception of what beauty means, and that includes the face as well. Most size 12 women do not have uber-defined cheek bones and sunken eyes.
maybe if they put clothes on them that flattered their figures not the size 0 models it would look great but no they just want to show the world “fat”"plus” sized fgirls dont look good its annoying… dont put size 12 girls in things 2 sizes to small that does nothing for them!!
“We wanted women to know they didn’t have to be a size zero to wear a Mark Fast dress.”
these pictures show me nothing but how mark fast dresses are designed for size zeroes. it’s like real size women should’t be sorry because they can’t fit in them, they’re allowed(!) to wear mark fast dresses, like allowing a child to wear her mothers clothes. the looks are that unnatural and humiliating in a way.
it looks like he tried to show that plus real sized women really CAN’T wear his dresses…there are so many real sized models with much more beautiful bodies than these (i dont mean to be rude, just honnest)
it even looks like he’s trying to make curvy look ridiculous, imo :s
Ughh thin models do it the best, just Stop putting bigger people on the runway
WTF?
This show functions like a joke against womanhood itself.
Anyone would look ridiculous in clothes that are so expressly NOT designed for them.
i think the drones (media led, easily led public) are supposed think the larger women are repulsive. We have been well trained.
Any healthy weight can look great in the right clothes. Personally these clothes give me the horrors, so i am inclined to think all of the models look dreadful.
The very thin ones may not bulge out of the clothes (which the larger models were INTENDED to), they just look like they’re about to expire of malnutrition instead.
Those dresses are WAAY too tight for the larger models. I agree that the girls aren’t fat — it’s the clothing that makes them appear that way by hugging their bodies like ill-fitting gloves. IMO Mark Fast has done nothing for the cause of using ‘normal-sized’ models here. If anything, this ‘fashion fiasco’ will probably cause many designers to reconsider using larger girls on their high-fashion catwalks. Terribly unflattering.
There are lot of online sites that don’t do as they say, only to take people’s money. You have to do research as in any line of work. It’s best to check a site that is not looking for money and offering valuable information about the business, like what to watch out for and what is worthwhile to pursue. I owned a modeling franchise for 10 years and have a site that explains the industry in detail.
You should check a few sites like this one before you make any quick decisions. And if you have any questions just contact me through the site or reply here. Thanks
Hank
I don’t understand everyone’s comments. I think these girls look great! I like the real-size models much better than the skinny ones in these dresses! I love how tight the dresses are and I love those lumps showing and I love how the dresses are tight at the breasts. This designer is a genius. I would totally wear those dresses if I had a body like those size 12 models! These women are soo incredibly pretty… especially the brunette.
In real-life situations, though, I can’t imagine anyone wearing a dress that tight without getting a lot of weird looks. So in real life I hope there are bigger sizes for normal-sized women.
http://uniqueidfashionistas.blogspot.com/
Check out my blog, the famous and not so famous- thats how a plus size chick should be styled, some stuff can really look like SH** on us. This designer was trying to push boundaries. He pushed too damn hard!!!
Um..wow. I guess they are sending a message to love the shape and curves of full figured women. However, that’s why people get naked (and they look better). This dress is just extremely unflattering on their figures. I’m skinny and I would not wear a dress that shows that pouch I get after a full meal. It disporportions your figure.
discusting i hate plus size models, why cant they just use victoria secret size models
They actually look good for being so big.
Umm…has anyone noticed how the models faces are generally quite gaunt, as are their necks and even some of their chests/decolletage area… then where they are clothed, i.e: stomach, arms, they look all unnaturally lumpy and bumpy. These pictures scream out to me: PADDED CLOTHES PADDED CLOTHES!!!
haahh! gosh i want to become a fashion designer and everyone says its difficult and everything…but since they have designers as shitty as these then ill be the next marc jacobs.
Their faces look pretty bad as well. Not ugly per se but they all look miserable. Was the plan to make them look as bad as possible??
Those clothes wouldn’t be flattering on ANYONE, from a size 2 to a size 12. Those are HIDeous. ugh!
I tend to agree with the article. The curvy models are STUNNING! However, the selected garments for them, were a little off.
Its not the models, its the design. Those supper tight gowns wouldn’t really look great, even on a size 0 model.