London Fashion Week organizers were set to follow this example in 2008. They originally planned to ban some zero size models from the runway in an attempt to show the world that such super thin models were not needed and were, in fact, dangerously below weight. However, they changed their minds and allowed the models to participate.
The Model Health Inquiry, a committee appointed by the British Fashion Council to look into this issue, is made up not only of health experts but also of models, including British model Erin O’Conner. The committee is looking at more than just size zero models. They are also taking into account the overall health of models in the UK. One of the biggest concerns is that there are few regulations in the modelling world. There is nothing regarding how many hours’ models can work, the age of models, and health care and educational opportunities for models.
The Top British Models
There are many different famous models in the UK, and like any industry, the best of the best tends to change fairly often. It’s always hard to say who is currently on this exclusive top list, but the magazine i-D did put together a list of who they considered the top twelve models in their March 2009 issue. Their twelve top female models included Daisy Lowe, Yasmin Le Bon, Agyness Deyn, Lily Donaldson, Twiggy, Eliza Cummings, Stella Tennant, Susie Bick, Naomi Campbell, Jourdan Dunn, and Kate Moss. Moss and Campbell have reached international acclaim, and they were among the six women recognized as the “Big Six” supermodels of the 1980s and 1990s.
As far as male models go, the UK has its fair share of pretty boys. Some of the biggest names include Alex Gilbert, Eddie Tucker, Jeremy Young, Ollie Edwards, Luke Worrall, Jamie Strachan, Josh Beech, Ash Stymest, Danny Schwarz, and David Gandy.
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