Just a few weeks ago at Australian Fashion Week, 21-year-old model Cassi Van Den Dungen got a lot of attention for looking extremely thin on the Alex Perry runway:
Van Den Dungen then quite suddenly found herself at the centre of the debate that reignites in Australia every year – the public voice their concern at how thin and unhealthy some of the models look, the fashion world responds with a collective eye-roll and something about girls needing to be the width of coathangers.
But this year, the debate was different. This time, it was a fashion industry insider – Marie Claire’s publisher Jackie Frank – who voiced concern at Van Den Dungen’s gaunt appearance. Having someone from the industry admit that something was seriously wrong made it harder for the rest of them to ignore.
Mamamia wrote about it at the time here and here and here. The main concern, above all else, was that the young women (and often, girls) who model at these shows are looked after and allowed the freedom to have healthy bodies.
At the time, Alex Perry said he ‘dropped the ball’ when he cast Van Den Dungen in his show. Her manager insisted that she is a healthy woman who just happens to be naturally thin. Van Den Dungen herself took to Instagramming photos of food, but other than that, remained mostly quiet about the whole thing.
Top Comments
I understand that there are naturally very skinny girls out there. Quite a few of my friends have this body type and find it difficult to put on weight. Without it being "body shaming" or any judgement of any other poster on here. The photo of the model at the show, clearly demonstrates an issue. Whether you like it or not (larger/smaller people whatever), she is not a healthy weight and it has been picked up by not just the fashion industry but also the medical field.
She has chosen to be a model and with that comes public scrutiny (that's the job). It's not bullying. It's the consumer saying that they are not interested in clothes that have to be on extremely thin women, for the designer to think they look good. How about designers step it up and create clothes for all? I think it shows lack of imagination, if they can only do clothes for size 4.
How can people call her naturally thin? Those photos are blatantly those of and undernourished person. A starving person- A naturally thin woman still has flesh - just more delicate bones and features. My mum was naturally thin but she was tiny. She had tiny bones, tiny hands etc. She did not look like someone who was unwell.
really look at that photo and compare it to her older photo's - this is not thin it is gaunt.
When and industry pressures woman to starve to conform with a certain standard and in turn encourage young girls to aspire to unhealthy anorexic bodies we have a problem. Anorexia can be deadly you know. 20 percent of sufferers die from anorexia related issues. Holding up an unhealthy , starving girl with a possible eating disorder is actively encouraging deadly disease.
I am all for the models- size 8 on such a tall person is thin but size 4 is ridiculous.