Monday 22 February 2010

plus what?

I'd like to show you something, and then I'd like to make some possibly controversial points, and I'd very much like your opinions on these things.

off of style.com

This is Crystal Renn, in the Mark Fast show at LFW.

My points are as such:

Crystal is fantastic - as anyone whose seen the recent shoots in W etc etc can testify. (there are links somewhere within this blog, but I'm sure you've seen them. They were everywhere a couple of months ago.)

But Mark; MarkMarkMark.
The first look does nothing for her.
The second is better, I suppose, but I'm sure there were more flattering looks you could've dressed her in.

I find it hard to accept that fuller figured ladies would wish to dress in such clothing. It's pretty unforgiving. I'd have to be feeling brave to wear them, yknow? Without being of model stature, I'm sure many would be donning the suck-it-in pants in order to go out in public in a Fast dress.
So I ask you - the real people; the readers - would you actually wear a Mark Fast dress??


This is the second season that Mark has used 'plus sized' models on the runway, and as such I don't know whether I can chalk it down to a publicity piece any more (he steadfastly states that it's NOT for publicity). I'm sure he does want to sell his clothes to women of all sizes, and perhaps he is trying to say "hey, look, anyone can wear these!", but this is hardly the message I get from this.
The thing is, this is probs my favourite Fast collection so far (it'll be in my roundup, and I'll say more about it as a whole there, I guess), because he didn't just show bodycon, cutout, stretched pieces, but also more drapey pieces.
And I would think there were other pieces in his collection that would've suited Crystal et al better, and therefore would've a) looked better on his brand and b) made 'real women' want to wear those pieces, in ways that this display hasn't.
So what is his angle, exactly?

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12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Its nice to see some "plus size" models on the cat walks. Kudos for this! but i think you're right the outfits do nothing for the woman's frame or structure especially as she doesn't have what is classed as a model look. I say support pants!!!!

In fairness more people should place regular sized women in their shows but maybe they should design for the curvier women.
Gemma

jenn. said...

yeah, exactly! i'm all in favour of "normal" and "plus sized" laydeez on the catwalks, in fact i encourage it, but flatter them! but them in the outfits from the collection that a) they look good in and b) they are likely to wear in the outside world!

else what's the point??
jenn.x

Ana said...

im so glad to see some plus size models, and the first show mark used them in, they looked fantastic. but these dresses, as a plus size girl i would NEVER wear them, they are completely unflattering, as if saying "look! this is why we should use skinny models! look how awful they look!" maybe if the dresses were a couple of sizes bigger? its like shes a 16 and she had to make do with a 14...

GiddyStrats said...

I saw these pictures yesterday and was genuinely disgusted.

Not because they're ... well, fatter, but because they have these HORRID incongruous faces!
(Calling them PlusSize is just offensive and them fat in my opinion. It all suggests that they have more weight than the norm)
She looks like an alien who's made herself quite at home in a downtown pizza parlour.
As Jonathan Ross said,
OM NOM NOM.

i liked this blog! It may have been my favourite to date!

mam said...

Hmm if you wore underwear that would pull you in then the dresses would maybe look smoother and more flattering. Butbutbut....I don't think any larger ladies would be comfortable wearing something quite that snug. Howver that's not to say snugger fitting clothes should be avoided at all costs and yeah it's great to see 'normal' women on the catwalk as opposed to sticks. Tough one...

Anonymous said...

I think the clothes are just too tight - I also wouldn't like to see size 0 models' bones through the clothes. But I like it how normal sized girls are used - I wouldn't call it oversized either. Why can't just healthy model hit the catwalks? I'D personally go for models size 8 to 12...

jenn. said...

glad to have some reactions guys - seems we're all on the same page then??

Anon, yeah, 8-12 seems about right to me too. I'd say a 10/12 was average size; although I know this isn't so (isn't the UK average a 16 or something?). Rest assured if I ever make it as a designer, I'll be finding the normal girls.
Wonder how uni will react if I ask them if I can use like, local bloggers and stuff for the models?


Actually, that probs won't be doable cos of the fits. Even if I used them in Newc, the clothes would be too big for the London models, if I got there. Nice to have pipedreams though!
jenn.x

Anonymous said...

Hasn't it ocurred to you that this maybe shows the reason why indeed there tend not to be plus-size models in the catwalks?
And a photo shot is radically different than a runway. The thinks that you can do at a photo shot (not to mention photoshop) to flatter a model, you simply can't do at a runway. So it's not comparable.

jenn. said...

anon - i wasn't really comparing runway to shoots, but your second comment seemed to imply that Crystal needs to be airbrushed to be flattered =/

I'll add, the hair and makeup for this show flattered none of the models..

And no, I think if designers dressed the models in clothes that fit them then what's the difference? As per previous comments, these just look too small for her, even though she would've had fittings...
The people who buy and wear their clothes are normal people who would wear the correct size, so why wouldn't the models?
jenn/x

Anonymous said...

Yeah i'm not really feeling the ill-fitting look...to be honest it makes the clothes looks cheap. I'm all for all sizes being represented by designers and runways, but considering the debate over this it's unfair that these models appearances promote a negative reaction.
L x
http://fashionlooksnorth.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't wear a Last dress. They're just not flattering--on thick or thin. Everyone looks really bad in each piece, and I'd never want to be the woman who dressed like these poor models.

It would take a lot of dedicated hard work and diabolical scheming to make the beautiful Crystal Renn look this awful, so you know he's putting his mind and soul to the effort.

Galena said...

Just saw the collection on TLo and I have to say I am absolutely disgusted, these outfits for most part go beyond just being unflattering, they are hideous. Outside of some interesting detailing all of these look like the girls were just passing by a dumpster and picked up the first thing hanging out of it.

Crystal Renn... he did THAT to Crystal Renn, the woman is absolutely gorgeous and most time you have trouble even putting her in "plus size" category because good clothes divert your focus from the fact her ribs aren't sticking out. I wouldn't even say it's about the plus sized models looking bad, ALL the models look like hookers after a hard night's work.... horrid horrid horrid