At the end of September, up and coming model Gigi Hadid wrote an open letter to her haters. She took to Instagram to express her feelings about constantly being in the public eye in an era where privacy is a foreign concept; where everybody and their mother has an opinion that they believe is vital; where with the click of a button you can comment, rate, like, subscribe, favourite and share virtually anything. Being scrutinized in an environment where physical appearance is of the utmost importance, and everything else is almost secondary, is cut throat atmosphere that drives even the most seasoned models to extremes in order to keep their figures.
However, Gigi also references that this constant criticism, and the act of treading the water of people’s hateful comments is all part of the job description. Many celebrities see themselves as the victim in said situation, and while there is a certain “woe-is-me element” it is what they signed up for. This is not a justification of those who stalk celebrities or break into their homes to steal their used tissues, but those in the public eye need to understand that now more than ever it has become incredibly easy to say anything behind an anonymous user name and a fake account. People don’t know them so they feel almost entitled to state their view. While Gigi’s activity on social media is both a blessing and a curse, anyone with a Facebook profile or an account on Instagram or Twitter subjects themselves to this open line instant judgment. The amount of criticism is a matter of exposure.
The main point of Gigi’s letter was to address and dismiss those that berate her based on her body type and compare her to other models. Trends in fashion are as unpredictable as the weather. I’m sure you never thought you would see flared denim again after the quote-unquote “groovy 70’s era”, but flares are making a huge comeback this year. Overalls caught everyone by surprise when the world discovered that pairing them with high heels and button down could transform them from the sandbox to the office.
The same can be said with models. Gone are the golden days when Marilyn Munroe was the IT girl in the fashion world, with the soft curves of a full bodied women, a well endowed chest and built in cushion to sit on. The fashion industry later found itself praising the daintiness and petite qualities seen in Twiggy in the 60’s. With her large eyes, willowy frame and pale skin she could hypnotize both the camera and the person on the other end of the magazine. The Christie Brinkley and Cindy Crawford phase came in the 80’s celebrating tall women who were thin but toned. Their bodies read thin with a hint of athleticism, but not too much to be off putting. The 90’s was a revert back to Twiggy’s decade but thinner, celebrating a lighter skin and a petite features.
The 2000s has brought us the entire spectrum. Current culture is fascinated with body type whether it is looking at those that are wafer thin, to those who are clinically obese. While these are both unhealthy extremes our culture has created a niche for both of these categories.
Gigi specifically speaks to harsh reality of the fashion world and her experience with the lack of acceptance she receives from social media. She describes her body with “Yes, I have boobs, I have abs, I have a butt, I have thighs.” While this admission from her did come as a shock to me- I mean when I look at her nothing astoundingly negative comes to mind about her body- in fact it is quite the opposite. But typical to most contexts, everything is relative. Gigi is considered curvy among the size two models that are slimmer, have less muscle mass and are petite in general. So while the average person may not think twice about her weight, the waist to hip ratio and the distance between her eyes, in the modeling world what someone else sees as a minor discrepancy determine the level of success of your career.
With the rise of social media models are not these abstract figures that we only see on runways and magazines, they have become accessible. Their social media accounts cover everything from shameless self promotion to their dog, to their vacation from 2007, a phenomenon that can only be described as “a well known stranger”, and Gigi doesn’t apologize for this, she revels in it. She states repeatedly that she will not allow the opinions of others to stop her from modeling, working with designers, and being a public figure. She does not apologize for her success or ask for sympathy because of her size and those who perceive her curves as negative.
Times are changing in the modeling world. While it will never be described as “anything goes” the rigid framework that was previously heralded as conventional beauty is changing. Now the word conventional does not apply. Models such as Winnie Harlow with vitiligo and plus sized model Ashley Graham have shattered previous notions that would have efficiently and bluntly dismissed them. Â
In the words of Gigi “At least be open, if not part of the change, because it’s undeniably happening”.