Georgia Bell
Feature, BBC News
Reporting from Paris
The high fashion industry has always been synonymous with thinness, but for a brief period in the 2010s, a movement promoting positive attitudes toward different shapes, sizes, skin tones, and other physical characteristics (body positivity) came to the forefront.
He promised a revolution in terms of body acceptance of all shapes and sizes, celebrated curves and advocated for inclusion, especially on the catwalk.
But ten years later, people in the fashion industry say things have changed.
Was the body positivity movement just a passing trend?
And with the help of weight loss drugs like Ozempic, does the thinness come back forever?
We spoke to designers, casting agents and models at Paris Fashion Week to find out what's really going on.
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2010s: The era of the body positivity movement
Body positivity movement It originated in the 1960s and was further strengthened by icons like actress Marilyn Monroe, who expanded Hollywood's strict standards of beauty.
It came to the forefront again in the 2010s, when the social network Instagram was launched, and influencers began to highlight fashion and beauty different from those presented in magazines and on catwalks.
Members of the famous Kardashian family also helped in this, whose curves launched a worldwide trend of surgery called Brazilian butt lift surgery (BBLs).
"When the body positivity movement came along, it was incredibly empowering and liberating."
"It seemed like an act of rebellion - what had been criticized for years was now appreciated."
"It's like the judgment has finally come to an end," says Enrika, a 28-year-old plus-size model.

Fuller models were getting jobs for big brands, including Savage X Fenty, a very popular lingerie brand launched by singer Rihanna in 2018.
The brand, whose value is estimated at one billion dollars, has become known for its spectacular fashion shows, similar to those organized by the American brand of women's underwear, clothing and cosmetics. Victoria's Secret, but which are represented on the runway by models of various shapes, sizes and body characteristics.

Felicity Hayward, a 36-year-old plus-size model, recalls the moment she was discovered in 2011.
"When I got the call from my first modeling agency, Storm, the same one that discovered Kate Moss, I thought it was a hidden camera," she says.
"Before the 2010s, attitudes towards fuller bodies were not positive and I never thought it was possible to be a fuller model."
"Watching that mindset change over the last 15 years has truly changed my life - emotionally, physically and financially."

2020: The era of the Ozempika
However, around 2020, this trend began to weaken.
And when it came time to present the fall-winter 2024 collection, out of 8.800 fashion creations at 230 shows, only 0,8 percent were worn by plus-size models, writes the American fashion magazine Vogue.
At the same time, a new weight loss drug used to treat diabetes appeared on the market and became extremely popular.
Semaglutide, which is sold under the brand names Ozempic and Vegovi (wegovy), reduces appetite, and is approved by the British National Health Service (NHS) for weight loss in 2023.
Famous personalities, including Elon Musk, began to attribute their new, slimmer appearance to these drugs, and it was only a matter of time before they would become a trend among ordinary people.

As Ozempic and similar drugs become increasingly available for cosmetic purposes, people in the fashion industry claim that this has influenced the body-positive movement.
Model Moja says: "We've seen how quickly opinions have changed because of celebrities and influencers who undergo surgery or use medications like Ozempic to follow what's considered 'in'."
Another model, Jenny, says: "When I realised that being skinny was coming back into fashion, it was a positive thing because I expected to have more work."
"But now I realize that means I have to follow that trend."
"I have to be the skinniest now."
Even the editor-in-chief of British Vogue said the fashion industry "should be worried" that designers are once again... turned to skinny models.
"I think maybe Ozempic has something to do with it."
"Now is the moment when the pendulum has swung to the point where being thin is 'in' again, and often these trends are considered fashion, and we don't want that to be the case," Chioma Nadi told BBC Radio.
And then a T-shirt by Berlin-based brand Namilia with the inscription "I love Ozempic", presented at their show during Berlin Fashion Week 2024, went viral.
"The 'I love Ozempic' T-shirt really hit the mark," says Nan Li, the brand's creative director, with a smile, claiming it was sarcastic.
"As Ozempic's popularity grows, more and more people are using it."
"Over the past few years, celebrities have simply been losing weight, but they haven't been talking about it."
Paris 'celebrates elitism'
And in January this year, Men's Fashion Week AW25 (autumn-winter 2025) was held in Paris.
Aside from the shows of several designers, including Rick Owens, Louis Gabriel Nouchi, and Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, I can count on two hands how many plus-sized models I've seen on the catwalk.
"Paris celebrates elitism, and elitism means thinness and fair skin," says Nan Li.
“There are a handful of plus-sized models [at shows], but they're not actually plus-sized, they're normal-looking.
"They are hired at every show to represent that brands support the body positivity movement."

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Fashion Week, Sean Beyen, casting director for the iconic French brand Fursac, told the BBC: "The only motivation for the brand is to sell clothes - that's it."
"I don't think there's any need to lie about it."
"Brands embraced the body positivity movement in the 2010s partly because they saw it as a commercial opportunity, and when they noticed it was no longer delivering the results they wanted in 2020, they simply gave up."
"To be completely honest - I don't actually want to see clothes on someone like me."
"I want to see that on someone I want to look like," says Beyen.
Gotje Borsarello, creative director of the brand Fursac, agreed with his colleague with a smile, saying: "I hate my body."
"I don't want to see clothes on people like me."

On the other hand, designers like Scottish fashion designer Charles Jeffrey believe that brands have a moral obligation to be inclusive in terms of models.
"The body positivity movement has never been a trend for me," he said.
"It was an opportunity to start being responsible."
The body positivity movement is woven into the very essence of Charles' brand, which draws inspiration from queer nightlife.
This is clearly visible in his collection that he presented at Paris Fashion Week.
"The people in my shows are the people I went clubbing with," says the designer.
"Models have never worn my clothes, but my friends who have different bodies."
"It's a community of people from my environment."

The body positivity movement is 'now on the back burner'
The reality seems to be that designers like Charles are the exception to the rule.
No matter how much activists resist, people in the fashion industry confirm that the body positivity movement is now a thing of the past.
"Yes, things have changed.
"In 2020 and 2021, we saw much more diversity and inclusivity on the runways, but when it comes to the body, that's now taken a back seat," says Daniel Mitchell Jones, co-founder of fashion agency Chapter Management.
When an agency sends curvy models to castings, we always have to push them, but they often tell us that the brand is not interested in them this season, he adds.

Plus-size model Enrika tells the BBC that not only are fuller models being hired less, but their agents are also finding it increasingly difficult to find work for them.
"It's not unusual to see campaigns that feature four full-size models and only one plus-size model," she says.
"That's why you can feel like you're just an illusion that there are differences."
Enrika adds that these brands sometimes use tactics in campaigns to portray alleged inclusivity, such as highlighting stretch marks on fuller models while erasing them on other models.
"It sends the message that 'We don't actually think you look the same as skinny models in our skirt,'" she says.
"But we accept you because we are such good and kind people, so please give us your hard-earned money."
"It's a disgusting job and I don't support it."

If you want a change, change your shopping habits.
That's what Sean Beyen believes: "Everything is driven by consumption."
"It's a vicious circle."
"Every fashion house gives its own version of what it thinks customers want, that's their interpretation, and the decision is up to the consumer."
Gauthier Borsarello says: “There is a famous French saying: 'If production stops, people will stop buying'.
"But the opposite is actually true - if people stop buying, we stop producing."
"No one is forcing you to do anything."
"It's consumer education:
"To put it politely - educate yourself."
And the benefit of the body being in fashion is that the pendulum will swing back in the opposite direction at some point.
"Nothing is lost forever, especially not in fashion," says Beyen.
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