Licenced to model

Esther We all knew that Italy was taking the weight issue seriously (and good for them, I say), but now it seems they're taking it even more seriously, with the Camera della Moda Nazionale (the body that governs Milan Fashion Week) announcing that it will now require all girls who wish to model in the country to acquire a special licence to do so.

The licence will, in effect, be a clean bill of health which states that the model carrying it is over 16 years of age, and has a body mass index of at least 18.5. However, the mayor of Milan, Letizia Moratti, said that girls with a BMI of less than 18.5 won't necessarily be ruled out, as "geographical and ethnic factors" will be taken into account, too. "We cannot limit ourselves to numerical parameters or preset formulas," she said. "For this reason, a personalised analysis is necessary." Does this mean  Esther Cañadas (pictured), said to have a BMI of 14, might just slip in?

Madrid bans skinny models | Australia bans "fat" models | Lily Cole: "I eat"

Licenced to model - Comments

Came straight to this page? Visit Catwalk Queen for loads more stories!