London's fashionista's were up in arms last week after designer Mark Fast used plus-size models to show off his collection at London's Fashion Week. The decision caused the designer's stylist and casting director to walk out three days before the show.
Three models ranging from eight to 10 in U.S. sizing from the agency (12+ UK) strutted down the catwalk alongside thinner ones.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, Amanda May, Mr. Fast's creative director, blamed the walkout on "creative differences" over the use of larger models. "There was a team change and we are glad we stuck to our vision," she said.
She also insisted that the decision to feature the models was neither politically motivated nor a publicity stunt.
"The decision to use fuller girls is something we have been talking about," said Ms. May. "There's an idea that only thin and slender women are able to wear Mark's dresses and he wanted to combat that. We wanted women to know they didn't have to be a size zero to wear a Mark Fast dress - curvier women can look even better in them."
Mr. Fast has also been involved with the exhibition All Walks Beyond the Catwalk. It features models aged 18 to 65, from sizes to eight to 16.
The day before Mr. Fast's show, the chairman of the Institute of Psychiatry's eating disorder team, Professor Ulrike Schmidt, raised concerns over ultra-thin models.
"We are very concerned that the lack of medical checks of models at London Fashion Week, coupled by an environment where being underweight is the norm, prevents those with eating disorders from gaining an insight into their condition," he said.
Sarah Watkinson, founder of agency 12+, told the Telegraph: "Every time I think things are progressing, they end up going back to how they've always been. I hope this has sparked lasting changes."
Discussion Questions: Should models who have figures more like actual customers be featured more often on runways? How critical are thin models in showcasing designer collections?