Paul Costelloe - The Right Example

As some of you who’ve read my catwalk report in the current issue of Inside Out on the Paul Costelloe Spring/ Summer 09 collection will know that I was at the show, but not how I came to be there!

The opening show of London Fashion Week was really my first proper research trip for the campaign and, I learnt a lot! I started the day (at a ridiculously early 4:29 am start I must add) with two aims in mind. First of all it was, hopefully to come away from the catwalk show with the proof that normal sized models could look fantastic on the runway too!

The designer Paul Costelloe is well known for his assertion that he doesn't use models below a size ten. I hoped to watch a fantastic catwalk show where all the models looked like poster girls for my campaign; and I wasn’t disappointed! The only way to describe my reaction to the show is that I was blown away. That, and how the hell can I make myself look like one of those runway models?!? THEY are what young women of today should be aspiring to. While about 20% of me was blown away by the show 80% of me was so pleased at my findings. The models were beautiful, but they looked healthy. They glowed in a way that no make-up artist of lighting tec. could create, their limbs looks tones and well formed, completely in proportion, more like yours or mind than shrink wrap draped over a structure of barbecue skewers.

I saw this as a success in both my research and in my campaign in general. Since the word go I’ve been telling my campaign that normal sized girls can both look fantastic as models and make the clothes look spectacular to boot but now I’ve seen the proof on the runway. Google the Paul Costelloe Spring/ Summer 09 show at London Fashion Week; thats what you should be aspiring too.


My second goal of the day coincides with the second feature of my morning in London; my interview with the international supermodel Erin O’Connor. Everyone’s been asking me about it! They seem shocked that I’m more interested in what Erin said than what it was like to interview someone so famous! (She was so nice! And tall! And pretty!!!!.... saves you asking see!) When I wrote and researched the questions I was going to ask her I designed them such that I would find out exactly how different people in the industry, in Erin’s opinion felt about the size zero debate and I was not disappointed!

But I came away with one important point, one that has stuck with me five very long, busy and tedious days later. Up until now the main focus of my campaign, and still is, to educate magazine editors, modeling agencies and designers as to how their placing or helping to place images of super skinny models in their shows, photo spreads and ad. campaigns is affecting women and girls across the country. But Erin made me think while she talked to me about her work with the Model Sanctuary, which she set up.

The Model Sanctuary is a place at London Fashion Week where models can take a time out, eat healthy food and drink, obtain health advice if they need it, and as Erin put it in our interview ‘turn up their iPods way too loud!’ Erin reminded me that models are people too, not just mannequins that take pretty pictures. I have been neglecting them far too much in my plans. I’m not just doing this for the people on the street anymore. I’m now also doing this for the models. Do they want to have to obtain size zero to find themselves paid work?