Modelling legend Erin O’Connor, who spearheads the recent Marks and Spencer clothing campaigns, knows all about the constant hullabaloo surrounding size on the catwalk.
For this year's London Fashion Week, RTÉ's Model Agent star helped to organise the All Walks beyond the Catwalk show - a photo exhibition designed to celebrate women of all shapes, sizes and ages.
One designer who was involved, Mark Fast, went on to use a size-12 model, Hayley Morley, from the event in his catwalk show last weekend. And the controversy surrounding his decision to use her has given the press a field day with the size zero debate.
Erin says: "Mark and Hayley met and she agreed to go on the catwalk for him. He engaged with her as a woman and her body shape. He thought she was sexy and wanted to show her off. Hayley had a huge round of applause when she walked on, which is great."
Thankfully, Erin O Connor is not the only one speaking out against the lack of bigger sizes on the catwalk. Model Caprice has also hit out at size zero models: "It's horrible. I think the media should not even pay attention to these women,' she told Now magazine. 'It's disgusting. I think it's unwomanly and I think it's unfeminine."
In June, Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman wrote to many leading designers asking them to up their sizing because she was struggling to find models thin enough to wear their clothes. Erin says: "Alexandra's concerns are very interesting because it's often difficult to decipher where the problems are coming from.
"The designers say they make the garment to fit the models, but there's the argument the girls have to slim down to fit the clothes.” I’d like to add that I'm a size 12 and on the catwalk this week. "And last year designer Giles Deacon held a street casting choosing women who don't necessarily conform to model size.”For me, the main thing is the model can convey attitude and confidence, regardless of size."
