Models will now need a medical certificate to parade in France. With this first binding measure, the country is catching up.
France wants to abolish the diktat of thinness in the world of fashion. To parade on the catwalks or appear in magazines, models will now have to present a medical certificate attesting that their state of health, evaluated according to their body mass index (BMI), is compatible with the exercise of their profession. A measure passed last week as part of the Health Bill.
This is the first time that France has adopted binding regulations. The promoters of this text relied on initiatives carried out abroad.
Around the world of countries that have decided to fight against the glorification of extreme thinness.
Madrid, the pioneering capital
In Spain there is no legislation aimed at combating excessive thinness in fashion. On the other hand, the Spanish capital has firmly positioned itself. From September 2006, Madrid prohibited models from parading at Pasarela Cibele, the Spanish fashion week, if their BMI was less than 18 (56 kg for 1m75 for example). In France, the amendment providing for this threshold was refused.
Driven by this initiative, the government has signed an agreement with major ready-to-wear brands such as Zara. Showcases will no longer display sizes smaller than 38 and large sizes will no longer be exiled to the back of the store. Pro-ana blogs promoting anorexia and bulimia are also threatened with closure.
At the time, Spain was seen as a precursor. It will soon be followed by its European neighbours.
Italy bans models from catwalks
In February 2007, an anti-anorexia manifesto came into force in Italy. This prohibits fashion shows for minors under the age of 16 and requires models to present a medical certificate. They must prove that they do not suffer from eating disorders. A few months later, 15 models deemed too skinny (they wore sizes smaller than 36) were fired by the Milanese seamstress Raffaella Curiel.
In 2014, Italy is trying to beef up its regulations. A bill proposed by several political parties plans to make the apology of anorexia, in particular via pro-ana websites, a crime. The text was never voted on.
The same amendment was proposed by French MP Olivier Véran. But it was not adopted by Parliament.
In Belgium, only Wallonia legislates
In our Belgian neighbors, a charter to fight against anorexia and related disorders has been launched for the attention of professionals in the world of agencies, and in particular models.
But for 3 Walloon deputies, we must go further. They propose to oblige advertisers to mention the retouched photos to slim down the model. A text voted unanimously in November 2013 by the Parliament of Wallonia.
Israel has the most binding law
In the country, men and women with a BMI of less than 18.5 are not allowed to march or appear in the media. It is the most restrictive law that exists to date. Entry into force on 1er January 2013, it obliges recruiters to request a BMI certificate of less than 3 months from all models. Lawsuits are possible if companies deviate from the law.
Israel has also put in place a law dubbed “the Photoshop law”: if the photo is retouched, the modification must be mentioned and cover at least 70% of the advertising. A rule that applies to local and foreign media.
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