Agencies hit back over too-skinny models: Blame the designers

Designers have refused to use size 12 models on the catwalks at London Fashion week, agencies said today.

The claim was backed up by model Jodie Kidd, once criticised for being unhealthily thin, who said she had been given outfits to wear that were so small even she could not fit into them.

Kidd said: "They cut their samples to fit a certain body size and if you don't fit it, tough. I've been to fittings where I've not been able to squeeze into a dress and they've taken it off me and put it on another model."

The agencies said enthusiasm for ultra-slim catwalk models meant casting directors refused to pick normal-sized women. They responded after Harold Tillman, chairman of the British Fashion Council, attempted to blame them for the craze for size zero models - equivalent to a British size four.

The Jaeger owner said that his company had little choice but to pick small models, saying: "You should be looking to the agents who provide these girls. Our casting agents select the runway models that are available at this time of year."

Agencies contacted by the Evening Standard said they had plenty of "larger" women on their books but complained these models were being overlooked.

Dean Goodman, head booker at the Profile Models agency, said: "Designers can't wash their hands of responsibility in making the model industry healthier. You give me one designer who has ever asked for a size 12 model for a catwalk and I'll eat my hat.

"Some of them say the skinnier the better. It's all thin, thin, thin. It's balls to say we don't provide size 12 - they don't choose them. We've got plenty of bigger girls, who are beautiful in a different way, but they end up doing photographic commercial stuff.

"We provide what we're asked for. If they want ugly, small girls, we'll give them that."

Igor Jerinic, women's booker at First Model Management, said: "We've got at least 10 size 12 models on our books who would be fantastic but the designers think they're not cool and edgy enough for the catwalks.

"It's not fair to blame the agencies. We supply to demand."

Premier Model Management said its size 12 girls were occasionally picked for the catwalk.

But a booker at another top agency, who refused to be named, said: "The designers want to create an aspirational, exclusive look on the catwalk so it's more covetable. That means girls thinner than most of us could ever be."

In September, the Model Health Inquiry produced a raft of recommendations to rid the fashion industry of its size-zero culture, including good health certificates for all models at London Fashion Week. The inquiry was set up following the deaths of two South American models who starved themselves to get work.