Ozempic has killed the catwalk careers of plus-sized models and fashion is going back to the skinny Noughties warns body activist FELICITY HAYWARD
Ozempic has killed the catwalk careers of plus-sized models, a body activist has warned.
As Hollywood’s increasingly slender aesthetic has sparked rumours that many of our favourite celebrities on the red carpet are using the weight-loss jab, it has fueled concerns that Ozempic is driving a return to the size zero trend.
Plus-size model Felicity Hayward has said this has lead to brands dropping bigger models and turning the clock back to the skinny noughties.
‘In the Ozempic era, being skinny is easier than ever, and the first place to welcome skinny back with open arms is the fashion industry. It’s heartbreaking to see.
‘The work has dried up and many of my friends who carved careers as plus-size models and influencers are now looking for part-time jobs,’ she told the Times.
Ms Hayward says it all trickles down from the catwalks.
At London Fashion Week in 2023, there were 85 plus-size models. This year there were 26.
Milan is notoriously the worst as they peaked at 45 curvy models in 2023 when Dolce & Gabbana had hired Karoline Vitto, a Brazilian designer known for size inclusivity.
Ozempic has killed the catwalk careers of plus-sized models, a body activist Felicity Hayward has warned
Ms Hayward rose to fame in 2011, when at 22, she was scouted by f amous photographer Miles Aldridge and posed as Anna Nicole Smith in a photoshoot
However, this year Milan had only 10.
While New York, which used to be at the forefront of plus-size representation, had a 50 per cent decrease in size inclusion this past season, according to Ms Hayward’s report, Including the Curve.
She added this years demand for plus size models has become apparent on the catwalk, while many of her plus-size friends didn’t receive a single casting this year.
Ms Hayward rose to fame in 2011, when at 22, she was scouted by famous photographer Miles Aldridge and posed as Anna Nicole Smith in a photoshoot.
The pictures went viral and she was recruited by Storm Management, the modelling agency that discovered Kate Moss and developed the careers of Lily Cole, Cara Delevingne and Cindy Crawford.
‘We are going backwards and it seems no one in the industry seems to care,’ she added.
It comes after Topshop announced its return last week, after it went into administration in 2020 and was later acquired by ASOS.
The brand had become known for its tiny mannequins, extra skinny jeans and small sizing.
Part of the problem is the rise of the ‘mid-size’ industry, which is anyone between a size 12 and 16, says the body diversity activist.
Jobs are now going to models between those sizes because they are smaller than plus-size and thus more ‘plateable’ to consumers, while brands can still use them to flaunt body positivity.
Despite the UK plus-size industry estimated to be worth £738.4 million, designers still shudder at the thought of bigger bodies wearing their clothes.
As the industry ozempifies, Ms Hayward almost wants to ‘give up’, but insists body types should never be a trend.
