So last night i stayed up late trying to make a start on written work for my portfolio. Below is my first draft of a small piece of writing. I looked at a Guardian article on Kate Moss and her affect on Pro Ana groups and i looked at a piece of text by J.Craik, called 'The face of fashion'. I tried to use the triangulation method when writing that James Beighton has been telling us about.... i THINK i understand it, but who knows, I'm going to give him a copy to look over and give feedback. i really wan to improve on my writing skills in preparation for my dissertation next year, and practice makes perfect!!
Crit models draft
Kate Moss is, at the moment worth $72 million (Sunday times rich list 2009) since being scouted by Storm fashion agency in 1984 she has increasingly become a role model and an idol of her time. Kate Moss told researchers in an online interview in November 2009 that ‘Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’ which caused many people to asks questions about her intellect, values, and compassion for her impressionable fans. Naomi Campbell stated:
‘People only take models at face value...we are women too; we have feelings.
When you have a very visual job, your appearance is taken to be the most important thing about you’ (quoted by L.-A. Jones 1992: 10)
This suggests that behind the scenes there is a struggle of power and individuality and for models and some want to be recognised as the person they are behind the face or the body. Not to forget that Naomi Campbell is considered a powerful model, with big contracts, and has earned her right to fight and to be listened to. Naomi Campbell does not want to be taken as face value and statements like the above quote from Kate Moss are only taking steps backwards in this war, and pro anorexia groups look up to Kate Moss as a role model, and statements like ‘Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’ is dangerous.
One user of a pro anorexia website commented on the quote saying: ‘ she’s making unhealthy attitudes and behaviours seem somehow attractive’ (cited Guardian.co.uk 20/11/09, Alexandra topping) Kate Moss is visually attractive and her fans take on anything she says as attractive. Moss has grown up in the modelling industry and she may not know better, this comes from an industry that thrives on young looking women to sell garments; Moss has lived with this for twenty-six years and possibly moulded her personality into someone who thinks its ok to fuel anorexic thoughts. In the fashion world perfected beauty sells.
‘most of the successful models have conformed to western stereotypes of beauty, because in every country, blonde hair and blue eyes sell’ (Craik, the face of fashion, super models and super bodies)
If this fact has made Kate Moss who she is, then others will catch on to this. Moss has to keep her body skinny, toned, her face fresh, her hair and style perfect, just to keep her job and high profile. This then translates into other people’s lives that are affected by the media surrounding Moss. They feel they need to become skinnier, more toned etc to keep friends and status. The manipulative media can make insecure women feel they need to change themselves to be accepted socially.
But it comes to light that even models aspire to be more ‘perfect’:
They seem to be chronically dissatisfied with there looks. Even supermodel Cindy Crawford said, “ Its hard doing the runway show. You’re surrounded by the forty most beautiful women in the world, you see all your own imperfections and none of theirs”’(Craik, the face of fashion 1994, Original quote by Rudolph 1991: 74)
Many Models turn to cosmetic surgery to try and perfect the look they need to become more employable, this in return means they are not natural, and teenage girls looking at the models in the newspaper cannot achieve the look, which makes the cycle even more vigorous and more people get hurt.
Women aged between twelve and twenty are at the highest risk of developing anorexia.
‘At the age of forty, Lisa Taylor was reemployed by Calvin Klien, after she chided him for employing young models to promote clothes aimed at older women. The ploy was highly successful.’ (Craik, 1994 The face of fashion)
This could be interpreted as Taylor being greedy and not wanting to loose her job as a model now that she has aged. It could also be seen that there is a shift in peoples thinking and is a positive move forwards, that models do not have to have perfect skin and to be under twenty years old to sell clothes. This could be positive in that less young girls would feel the need to starve themselves to gain perfection, as there is less media pressure.
‘Liberal democrat MP Lynne Featherstone said the storm created by Moss’s comments reflected a desire for change in society’ (Guardian.co.uk 20/11/09)
Moss should take responsibility as a role model for teenagers across the world and not fuel pro anorexia groups with more statements that are harmful to themselves and the fashion industry. Moss comes across to the pubic as having no personality; she only has her looks.
‘Because you exist through others’ eyes. When they stop looking at you, there’s nothing left.’(Quoted by Rudolph 1991: 75 in Craik, 1994 The face of fashion)
800 word count at the moment.
