Italian designer Nolita has caused an uproar this week with an ad campaign featuring 27 year old French native, Isabelle Caro, an anorexic weighing in at 68 pounds. The images, which have been splashed all over Milan billboards and newspapers during Milan Fashion Week, is reportedly an effort to warn the public about the realities of the disease. Caro, who has been anorexic for 15 years and suffers from psoriasis, says her illness is the result of a “difficult childhood.” About the ad, she says:
“I’ve hidden myself and covered myself for too long. Now I want to show myself fearlessly, even though I know my body arouses repugnance. I want to recover because I love life and the riches of the universe. I want to show young people how dangerous this illness is.”
The ad was shot by controversial Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani, who in 1992 famously photographed a man dying of AIDS for a Benetton campaign. Some people believe that the ads are sensationalizing eating disorders and may even cause young women to aspire to be thinner. I firmly believe that the ad, although an obvious marketing tool for Nolita, is a much needed wake up call to the entire fashion industry, the media and the public in general. Too many woman are slowly killing themselves in the name of fashion. Just last year, a 21-year-old Brazilian model died from anorexia. I can only imagine how many models actually look like this underneath their gorgeous couture.
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Seemingly, the fashion industry has finally begun to take notice and respond to this alarming issue. Last year, Madrid Fashion Week led the charge by banning models with a body mass index of below 18 from its catwalks (18.5-25 is considered normal). Milan responded by announcing a code of conduct which requires models to carry medical certificates, and opened fashion week with a show featuring more shapely models. One can only hope this trend continues, and by exposing the ugly truth, Nolita is taking a step in the right direction.
Via Reuters
