The presence of a greater number of so-called ‘plus size’ models in recent years had – almost – made people forget the omnipresence of size 0 models, which seems to have become even more pronounced during recent fashion weeks.

This is not unrelated to the return of Y2K aesthetics in fashion, as well as to the (very) slimmed down silhouettes shown off by models and influencers followed by tens of millions of people around the world.

Some are already alarmed by the repercussions of this potential return in force of the cult of thinness.

A trimmed-down look

Back in May 2022, for the prestigious Met Gala, Kim Kardashian stepped out in a historic dress worn several decades earlier by Marilyn Monroe. And the reality TV star slipped into this exceptional gown after losing seven kilos in just three weeks, as she said herself.

A rapid weight loss that did not fail to trigger an outcry from internet users. At the time, Claire Desvaux, a dietician and naturopath, told ETX Studio that losing so much weight in such a short time isn’t healthy.

And that’s not the end of the story, since Kim K, like her sister Khloé, is now sporting a much slimmer frame.

Gone are the curves that helped make the American star famous, and which served to inspire many young women. These are now replaced by a totally redefined, and much slimmer figure.

So, are curves dead? It’s hard to say for sure, but it does seem that one beauty standard is always ready to replace another in fashion’s endless cycle.

This unexpected slim-down came at the very moment when fashion seemed to be in the early stages of a change in perspective, with the emergence of a certain diversity on the catwalks.

After two fashion giants – Kering and LVMH – signed a charter excluding size 0 models or those under 16 years old from the catwalk in 2017, the triumph of the body positive movement has, in recent years, brought more plus-size models to the catwalks and to advertising campaigns. A minor revolution in an industry still dominated by many norms and conventions.

But these advances could be reduced to nothing – or almost – if they continue to exclude the majority of women, who are neither a size 0, nor a plus size, and even more so if these advances are halted by a return to extreme thinness.

Such was the observation made during the spring-summer 2023 fashion weeks, held in September last year.

The return of the 2000s

In 2021, the Y2K years rose to prominence as the new star era of fashion, bringing back many relics of the 2000s, including low-rise cuts, micro mini-skirts, visible G-strings, crop tops and hot pants.

All of which are, undeniably, not the most conducive to embracing the concept of body positivism.

Originating on social networks, the craze for the noughties soon made it onto the catwalks, in turn ushering in the great return of size 0. Some of the world’s biggest fashion houses – including Givenchy, Coperni and Miu Miu, to name but a few – have gained much media attention for their waif-like models, like Bella Hadid or Kaia Gerber, among others.

As well as raising concern, the trend perhaps serves as a reminder that inclusivity is far from being a given in the fashion industry.

Alexandra Van Houtte, founder of the specialist fashion search engine, Tagwalk, recently confirmed the trend to the New York Times, revealing that last season, “more than half of all fashion week shows still had no models who weren’t a dress size 0 or 2.” A finding that confirms the return – or the omnipresence – of ultra-thin models on the catwalk.

And that’s not all, since the Tagwalk founder also said that the specialist fashion search engine’s database so far lists only three midsize models – US size 8-12 (EU 40-44) – compared to more than 80 so-called ‘curve’ models – with sizes above size 12. All of which leaves a gaping gap of representation for mid-sized, and often average-sized, bodies.

In November 2022, the New York Post highlighted this return to the cult of thinness with an article entitled “Bye-Bye Booty: Heroin Chic is Back”. It talks about the end of an era – an era celebrating curves – giving way to a new age of thin, even skeletal silhouettes.

Indeed, ‘heroine chic’ refers to a grunge aesthetic that came about in the ’90s, characterised by models with an androgynous look, pale complexion, and dark circles around their eyes – often associated with Kate Moss.

The aesthetic is especially controversial since it has been – and still is – associated with drug use and eating disorders.

The story spurred a strong reaction from the actress and feminist activist Jameela Jamil: “I am of the generation of the first wave of this. We never fully recovered. I lost two decades of my life. I’m BEGGING you to violently reject this, and to VIOLENTLY REJECT any people, or magazines or news outlets who are participating in the spread of this hell,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

All of which serves as a necessary reminder of the consequences that praising this kind of aesthetic could have, and especially of the effects of the popularisation of any trend promoting such a body type to the detriment of others.

As such, body positivism – the acceptance of all human bodies – seems more than ever necessary to shatter the many norms and expectations that still surround the worlds of fashion and beauty.