Are models not real women? Who decides?

British Vogue has announced that it will use academics and businesswomen for their November issue, instead of models and celebrities. The only exception will be the use of  Emily Blunt's photo in the cover picture and that of models in advertisements.

Editor Alexandra Shulman said she reached this decision because she "wanted to explore what women wear through a real filter" as quoted by BBC.

Ms Shulman told BBC, "The combination of a newspaper commentariat - which is always keen to leap critically on a woman in the public eye who dresses even the slightest bit adventurously - alongside a professional culture that still encourages a conventional conformity, makes it hard for some women to dress the way they would really like to.

"Now we have a prime minister who clearly enjoys thinking about how she dresses - and is not afraid to wear jazzy shoes, bright colours and clothes that draw attention rather than deflect it - there really is no excuse."

Many campaigners of healthy body image have gone to praise the work and even applauded this step taken by Vogue. The theme of the magazine explores "real" beauty and the wardrobe choices of successful women.

Emily Blunt. Picture Credit: www.thedailybeast.com

MY TAKE

While this is a great step indeed, as many fashion magazines have been accused of setting body image issues, I can't help but wonder about the models.

Everyone understands fashion to be different; it is subjective and what may be fashion to one may not be fashion to another. It is all left to interpretation, which also creates conflict of ideas, of course. I don't understand why when we talk about "real" beauty, models are categorically subtracted. Who are we to decide what "real" beauty is? Why is going to the gym, to stay fit, to look good, or heck even wearing make-up not real beauty? Who decides that? What if natural is not good enough? What if you stopped studying beyond just alphabets, does that make you unreal?

Also Watch: Real Women, Real Stories, Real Successes

Now many of you may diss me for saying this, but don't models work just as hard as anyone else to keep their careers? How is a woman in a corporate office running numbers better than a model who runs a magazine's business? We're talking commerce here, and every woman has a role to play. I'm not saying I support the notion of size zero and anorexia, but I'm saying a career cannot be termed false just because the crowd suddenly appreciates the other side.

Honestly, what is wrong with looking good and going to the gym? Celebrities and models work 24*7 to be where they are today. If Emily Blunt, Gigi Hadid, Miranda Kerr, Adriana Lima want to be on the cover of a fashion magazine, then why not. They're here because they lead a life that needs immense amount of discipline and dedication. Let's give respect where it deserves, be it a corporate office or a stage.

Feature Image Courtesy: www.bbc.co.uk

Digital Women Awards