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PARIS - Paris will not take extra measures to ban ultra-skinny models from catwalks because its rules on their health are already strict, the head of the French fashion federation said today.
Spain barred models below a certain weight from Madrid fashion shows in September, and organisers of New York's fashion shows this month issued guidelines to tackle the problem, although stopping well-short of banning them.
"We must be attentive and inform young women but not regulate even more," said Didier Grumbach, head of the French fashion federation, adding that young models already had to pass strict health checks in France.
"Regulation is something that will only weigh on the atmosphere," he told reporters ahead of a fashion show by Lebanese designer Elie Saab.
Grumbach said there had been both round and very skinny models in the histoy of fashion.
"We must respect the history of fashion. We must pay attention not to link slimness and ill health. We must be very attentive," he said.
The fashion world has been debating the issue of ultra-thin models, with many designers and models shrugging off concern that they encourage eating disorders in girls and young women.
Italy's government and its fashion chiefs have signed a pact aimed at keeping models who are sickly thin off the catwalk by requiring women to show proof of their good health or risk being barred from shows.
Brazil has also launched a campaign to ban underage, underweight models from its catwalks in response to the death of a Brazilian model from complications due to anorexia.
- REUTERS
