Body positive move: Chadwick Models removes measurements from public view
High profile modelling agency Chadwick Models - which produced modelling royalty Megan Gale, Adut Akech, Rachel Hunter and Jess Hart - has removed body measurements from its website.
Confidential
Don't miss out on the headlines from Confidential. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A top Australian modelling agency, which has handled the careers of Megan Gale, Adut Akech, Rachel Hunter and Jess Hart, has removed body measurements from its website and composite cards.
Managing director Martin Walsh said the decision is aimed at reducing the pressure on young men and women to adhere to unrealistic stereotypes.
“I think we are the first agency in the world to do this to be honest,” Walsh, who himself started as a model in the 1980s, said.
“Some agencies, they apply a lot of pressure to maintain specific measurements, which we feel is a very outdated approach to the industry at this point. This is not only for our models but for young girls and guys looking at our website.”
He continued: “We expect our models to maintain a consistent size just as athletes are expected to maintain a consistent level of fitness. We don’t see any reason to apply added pressure to that situation by publishing those measurements online.
Walsh made the news official at the weekend, changing its website to remove model bust, wais hip sizes from public view.
MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
Celebrity kid’s $16k outfit sets off new trend
Meet the men vying for Bachelorette sisters’ hearts
Home and Away star: ‘Alcohol was my poison’
Overall size, for example an eight for a woman or a 40 suit for men, will remain on the website, as well as height and shoe size.
“As a leader in our field for over 40 years and with the globes current top model we feel it’s time for a more progressive industry approach to personal identity and will reference dress, shoe sizes and height only,” an email to models and industry read.
“Measurements specifically required by the client will be provided on request. This is not a reaction to any particular occurrence or matter rather a position that the team at Chadwick nationwide have discussed for some time and felt that it was time to move away from unrealistic or unhealthy expectations on our models or that may encourage ill-conceived perceptions from those viewing our website.”
Chelsea Bonner, who specialises in curve models through her Bella Management agency, commended the move but encouraged Chadwicks and other agencies to open their books to people of different shapes and sizes.
“It is a great stand to take,” Bonner said of Chadwicks move. “I am not sure how it will play out in reality but the concept is a great talking point and it will get a lot of people thinking. All barriers coming down around sizes is only a good conversation. I am not sure how that will work commercially though because it is not actually agencies that put the briefs out, we meet the briefs of a client that require certain measurements.”
Originally published as Body positive move: Chadwick Models removes measurements from public view