I don’t like the idea of a designer using token ‘bigger girls’ for a bit of cheap publicity, I’d rather see healthy girls of all sizes (and all ABOVE size zero because that’s just unattainable without removing vital organs for most of us) to model clothes that we, the consumer, are meant to be buying. By denying that women larger than a British size 8 are acceptable to model the fashion that makes money for these people, they are going to find themselves boycotted by real women voting with their purses.

Yes, it is unhealthy to be a skinny Minnie if you are surviving by eating tissue for meals, but equally it is unhealthy to have token ‘big girls’ just for the sake of it. I don’t even think it needs to be about catwalk-it needs to be embraced by the general media too, as well as the pop and film industry. A model is a hanger for clothing but an actress can speak words, a pop singer sings obviously, and these are the ones that are damaging-if anything they are more a threat to young girls as they are more endorsed as figures to aim towards. I will admit it is slightly refreshing to see another designer using a 12+ model on the catwalk, as this means there is room for gradual change where we get to a place where there is balance, but fashion week is for buyers consumption. It is articles like this that bring in a negative perspective, which is a shame as it is 25 years of London Fashion Week and it should be greatly celebrated by all.

Also, it is allot harder to design, pattern cut and sew for curves which is why it has taken so long for mass markets to start making fashionable garments-and on a catwalk they dont have time in the space of two monthes which is production to pattern cut for this so that it fits ‘right’. Admittedly it is easier to do all for a straight up and down figure but it is also cheaper and easier which is why many stick to this. Also, fashion week is for buyers-you wont get joe public at fashion week, and the designer wants the CLOTHES to be looked at, not the model.

I think this hoo-hah about runway being about “fashion” and all is a load of crap, no offense to your friend. If a garment is truly well designed, it will make anyone look amazing – and besides that, if you put a gorgeous curvy girl in a gorgeous garment, you’re going to have a breathtaking effect. Not to mention, I think it’s kind of silly that the designs are so small. Designing for a straight up and down figure is a lot easier than designing for someone with serious curves, speaking as someone who’s had to sew for both figures. I’m just sayin’!

If it was all art the size of the model wouldn’t matter as the focus would be on what the designer had created, if it was all business then designs would be made for what real women are like, instead we’re stuck somewhere in the middle and it’s all tangled up with body fascism, health and self respect

I salute Mark Fast for sticking to his guns, both as a designer and an artist and sending normal size models down his runway, despite what other members of his team said.