Gisteren berichtten we over Calvin Kleins nieuwste lingeriecampagne, waarvoor het label niet alleen de met maatje 34 en 36 gezegende modellen Lara Stone, Jourdan Dunn en Ji Hye Park boekte. Óók de Amerikaanse Myla Dalbesio werd ingeschakeld, die met haar maat 42 in de modellenwereld als meer ‘plus-size’ wordt gezien dan de standaard.

Zelf zetten we de term plus-size ook al tussen haakjes (want: maat 42 (!), en dus niks fors of ‘plus’ aan) en ook Myla Dalbesio en Calvin Klein laten weten dat de in de modellenwereld gebezigde term wellicht verkeerd is gekozen. Beiden reageren op de commotie die de campagne heeft veroorzaakt.

De reactie van Myla Dalbesio:
I love that after working in the fashion industry for nine years, I have finally found my place, right in the middle. Neither plus, nor straight size, I love that I can be recognized for what I am, a healthy size 10.

I love that as the conversation on the internet explodes and brings greater awareness, I am receiving emails from 15 year-old girls, telling me that I have given them hope and that sharing my story has made them feel less freakish, less weird, and that they can accept their size 8 or 10 frame.

I love that I get to be a part of this conversation, about size and body image and that I get to represent a brand like Calvin Klein. They didn't introduce this campaign for shock value, they simply included what some would refer to as a "normal size" girl in their advertising, right next to other girls of varying sizes and shapes.

I love that by opening this discussion, I can also (hopefully) open some doors for other models, friends of mine, that have always straddled the line between straight size and plus. True body diversity doesn't mean only sizes 0's and 2's then jumping to size 16 and up. There is a middle ground.

De reactie van  Calvin Klein:
The new Calvin Klein Underwear Perfectly Fit imagery features models Myla Dalbesio, Jourdan Dunn, Amanda Wellsh, Ji Hye Park and the face of the brand, Lara Stone, in several styles. The Perfectly Fit line was created to celebrate and cater to the needs of different women, and these images are intended to communicate that our new line is more inclusive and available in several silhouettes in an extensive range of sizes.

Zo zette Victoria's Secret de 'Perfect Body'-campagne recht >