Underweight model 'too big' for London Fashion Week

'Too big': Madeline Grant
12 April 2012

A London model agency banned an underweight teenager from auditioning for London Fashion Week because she was "too big".

At 5ft 11in and nine stone, Madeline Grant is more than half a stone underweight according to NHS guides. The size eight 17-year-old was "devastated" when Profile refused to put her forward for castings as her hip measurement had increased by two inches.

Eating disorder expert Dr Adrienne Key said the case highlighted the industry's "robotic obsession" with an ultra-thin ideal of female beauty.

"What a horrific experience for her," she said.

Today the agency insisted it was "protecting" Madeline from being rejected by "sad" designers who will only show their clothes on women who look like "androgynous bloody coathangers".

In a scathing attack on his own industry, Profile's owner Christoph Chalvet de Recy blamed the "gay mafia" at the top of fashion who demand super skinny women to wear their clothes.

He said "95 per cent" of catwalk designers would consider Madeline too big. The industry is run by the gay mafia who have never fancied a girl in their life and don't appreciate any curves - they think they just get in the way of clothes.

"They want androgynous bloody clothes hangers - it's very, very sad because only a tiny proportion of girls are like that. It projects a distorted image of women. But we're a business, so we do what is required.

"We think Madeline is beautiful and can get plenty of other work, but for catwalk and the big campaigns she has no chance.

"It's not that she's fat at all - we wouldn't tell her that - but her hips were bigger than the samples designers have. The designers want very small."

Madeline, who lives in Birmingham and has a place to study English at Oxford in October, said: "I was devastated when they told me I couldn't do the castings. I'd been really looking forward to fashion week and had packed a bag to stay down for a week. I couldn't believe they were telling me I was too big.

"The agency were kind about it, and didn't want me to be humiliated by the designers, but I felt as if they were saying I'd stuffed my face over Christmas when I've hardly put on any weight and I eat really healthily and exercise.

"My friends are laughing about how they all wish they were as fat as me now.

"Designers need to get away from thinking only ridiculously skinny girls can sell clothes."

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