Big is Beautiful? Plus-size models spark health debate at Sydney Fashion Festival

 As the use of plus-size models on magazine covers and runways becomes more popular, it is refreshing to see the fashion industry embrace a variety of shapes and sizes.
But in trying to strike a balance, are some designers going too far?
Australian department store Myer hosted a Big is Beautiful show during Sydney's Fashion Festival yesterday, hiring plus-size girls to model outfits by various labels.

Plus-sized models appear on the catwalk for the Myer Big is Beautiful show during the Mercedes Benz Sydney Fashion Festival yesterday

The show included pieces by various designers in sizes 16 to 24

Robyn Lawley - the first ever plus-size model to feature in Vogue Australia - opened the show in a stunning black assymetric dress.

 

But while some girls looked healthy modelling sizes 16 to 24, others appeared somewhat overweight.
Adopting the slogan 'Big is Beautiful', and thus encouraging women to remain unhealthy, could be classed as almost as harmful as promoting the controversial 'size zero.'

Robyn Lawley, left, the first ever plus-size model to feature in Vogue Australia - opened the show

Refreshing: The industry is starting to embrace all shapes and sizes

The show has sparked an online debate as The Australian journalist Damian Woolbough branded the choice of models 'irresponsible.'
Damian wrote: 'There is a place for women of all sizes in the fashion media, as seen by the positive response to a plus-size shoot with Lawley in this month's Vogue Australia, but obese models send just as irresponsible a message about the need for healthy eating and exercise as models with protruding clavicles and ribcages.'
But the post received a series of comments from readers defending Myer's move.

And Tam Fry from the National Obesity Forum warned the dangers of seeing skinny models on the runway far outweigh the message that plus-sized girls send.

Slow sales: Just 64 tickets were snapped up  for the show - of the 500 available

He said: 'Is it ok to be overweight? No.
'But if you are big and big boned, people come in all shapes and sizes,it would be monstrously wrong to say the models are just overweight.
'If they are running a show which has big girls modelling for big girls, then that would be totally appropriate.
'Sending skinny girls down the runway does more damage than you might expect this show to be doing.
'If the show Big is Beautiful is for ladies that are size 18 because that is their natural size then I see no problem.'
Either way, it seems not everyone is sold on the idea that big is beautiful.
Just 64 tickets were snapped up  for the show - of the 500 available.
Harper's Bazaar editor Edwina McCann told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'I don't think the consumer is as obsessed with plus-size as the media is.
'I think the consumer is quite happy to accept the fact that a model, like an Olympic swimmer, is usually an exceptional beauty and doesn't look like the rest of us.'