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Model Bella Hadid (26) poses for the autumn campaign of the Spanish fashion label Balenciaga.
The bones around their shoulders stand out prominently and their ribs show through the skin. Model Bella Hadid (26) was photographed topless for the autumn campaign by Balenciaga with a thin figure. Almost at the same time, Kim Kardashian (42) lost seven kilograms within a few weeks to fit into her dress for the Met Gala. Since then, the entrepreneur, who is known for her feminine curves, has shown herself with a very slim body.
The US newspaper “New York Post” took the weight changes of the two women as an opportunity to announce the comeback of thin bodies. She captioned it: “Bye-bye booty: Heroin Chic is back”.
This refers to a trend from the fashion industry in the 1990s and 2000s that glorified women with emaciated figures, pale skin and dark circles under the eyes. Characteristics associated with heroin or other drug use. At the time, supermodel Kate Moss (48) was considered a representative of this “heroin chic” aesthetic in the early stages of her career.
«Our bodies are not trends»
The fact that “Heroin Chic” should now be back triggers rejection on social media. British actress Jameela Jamil (36), who promotes healthy handling of one’s own body on her platforms, was indignant and wrote on Instagram: “Our bodies are not trends.” Many of her 3.7 million followers agreed with her in the comments.
Elisabeth Lechner (32), cultural scientist and author, is pleased about this resistance to “heroin chic”. She did her doctorate on body positivity at the University of Vienna and has been dealing with the female body image for several years. “The reaction shows that there has been a rethink and that the body positivity movement has achieved a lot,” she says to Blick. “Many more people now know that health is more than a number on the scale.”
That’s because disparate bodies are increasingly represented on the runways, in advertising, and in pop culture. US singer Lizzo (34), who is proud of her fat figure, is one of the most successful musicians in recent years, and at Versace in 2020 three curvy models walked the runway for the first time. “It showed women that beauty is diverse and that thin bodies are primarily about marketing a profitable, unattainable ideal,” says Lechner.
«Marketing strategy of fashion labels to stay relevant»
Although the slim woman’s ideal of beauty has never disappeared and, according to the expert, has simply receded into the background in recent years, she doesn’t believe that “heroin chic” will be accepted by the general public. There is too much critical knowledge available.
But why is this trend coming up again now? “Beauty ideals are always changing, behind it are the economic interests of the fashion and diet industry,” says Lechner. “In order to remain relevant, it has to market new ideals and set accents.” It is a marketing strategy of labels like Balenciaga, especially with a well-known model who is suddenly much thinner than usual to do a campaign. Apparently they managed to attract attention.