With SS18 Fashion Month well and truly underway this month, most people were happy to hear that French fashion companies Kering and LVMH had promised to stop hiring excessively thin models worldwide in response to continued criticism the industry encourages eating disorders.
Reuters reported that all of the companies' fashion brands have now committed to banning models below a French size 34 (size 6 in the UK, size 0-2 in the US), and prohibiting models between 16 and 18 working between 10pm and 6am.
And while we praise the fashion companies for recognising the need to protect and nurture young models and promote healthy eating and realistic beauty standards across the fashion industry, there are a couple of voices who are unsettled by this news and perhaps with reason.
One such voice hails from actress and former top model Jaime King.
At New York Fashion Week on Saturday, King spoke about the recent ban on size zero models by French fashion companies, which will come into effect ahead of Paris Fashion Month later this month.
She told the New York Post: 'I think it would be radically unfair to say if you're a size zero, then you can't work, just like it's unfair to say that if you're a size 16, you can't work.'
'[When] I was diagnosed with endometriosis, I gained 40 pounds because my hormones were so crazy,' King continued.
'And it was like, "Oh, [producers] want to offer you this role, but they want to know why you got fat." I realised being shamed for gaining weight or being too thin felt the same.'
The 38-year-old was discovered at the age of 14-years-old and began modelling professionally, working with the likes of Abercrombie & Fitch, Chanel, and Christian Dior.
Discussing her own weight, the Hart of Dixie's star added: 'I'm naturally really thin, and sometimes it's really hard for me to gain weight.
'When people on Instagram say, "Go eat a hamburger", I'm like, "Wow, they're body-shaming me for the way I look".'
I think we can all agree that body-shaming, regardless of weight, size, ethnicity etc, is wrong on all accounts.
However, in an industry which is infamous for provoking concern about its promotion of extreme thinness - which has often resulted in body dissatisfaction and eating disorders - we think the banning of 'thin' models from casting requirements is an important step is ending the perpetuation of dangerously thin beauty ideals.
