Kookai thinks bigger

The French fashion chain Kookai is to offer larger sizes in its UK stores because, it says, British women are chunkier than their Parisian counterparts.

Its UK boss says that while some of his young customers are naturally large, others owe their added girth to 'bingeing on McDonald's'.

As a result, it is to start offering size 16 in its designer clothes, and using bigger girls to model them.

Kookai is not alone in recognising the cross-Channel size gap. Per Una Due, the young fashion range recently launched by Marks & Spencer with microskirts and revealing tops, is offering size 16 too.

Another leading name, Morgan, which is also French-owned, is trying to appeal to larger young British women.

Kookai's move will be welcomed as opening the door to the latest fashions for young women who have previously been excluded.

But it also reflects the truth that British women, like those in most of northern Europe, are getting larger at a younger age. Kookai's UK managing director, Michael Rahamim, said: 'French women tend to be thinner and petite. Looking at what we sell in Britain versus our French counterpart, certainly size 1 in France - 6-8 in English sizing - sells a lot more there than here.'

Mr Rahamim said the British have become more accepting of fat men and women, which he argued was not necessarily a good thing.

'Fifteen years ago if you were overweight as a man or woman, you tended to hide.

Nowadays, perhaps because women have become more emancipated, people are more accepting. Being overweight is no longer such a no-no. You will see television programmes where a woman will declare, "I am overweight and proud and happy about it". People will then clap and cheer.

'I think there are two different types of big women. There are those who are genuinely born large and will never be as thin as a size 8 girl. Then there are women who are clearly a lot larger because they eat a lot. I would imagine Kookai customers are the type of girls who are a little larger in the body shape and not the ones who binge on McDonald's.'

The core customers of Kookai, which has more than 50 stores in the UK, are between 18 and 30, although older and younger groups also shop there.

Mr Rahamim insisted there are many larger customers who have the confidence and panache to carry off the latest trends.

'Not every girl looks like Kate Moss or Naomi Campbell. That doesn't mean that you should not wear the sort of outfits that these models wear.

'If you are a size 16 and look good in it, then why should we not try to offer it?'

Marks & Spencer was matter-of-fact about its decision to make larger sizes available in its younger fashion lines. The Per Una range goes up to size 18, while the Per Una Due, which is specifically for young women and teenagers, is available in 16.

A spokesman said: 'We aim to cater to all our customers' needs by providing a wide choice of products and sizes.'