Anne of Carversville

Stephanie Seymour, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell

Based on the new Ralph Lauren body image controversy, this long, philosophical article about women taking charge of their own self image has moved into our Top 15 Reads. I had just my own aha moment, updating last spring Sensuality News piece on Karl Lagerfled’s clearly being “the lover” — just not sexually — in the 2009 Chanel ad campaign. Based on reader interest, we’ve moved this post forward in our rotation, so that readers see it against both Gwyneth Paltrow’s revelation that she has osteoporosis at 37 and the new Ralph Lauren controversy.  Anne

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80s powerhouse supermodel Cindy Crawford told German celebrity magazine Bunte that she would stand no chance of being a successful model today.

“A body like mine with big breasts, normal thighs and toned upper arms” is no longer what the industry is looking for, she said. via New Zealand Herald

Cindy’s healthy athletic figure was the rage in the 80s, along with Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour. Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer and more.

As a former Victoria’s Secret exec who worked with many of these models, I know we are in a time warp with many of the younger women, who correctly argue that today’s fashion designers don’t care a wit about the model’s personalities or style.

“Models exist as coat hangers for the fashion,” they write, asking why women like me can’t get that reality through my pretty blond head. As fashion hangers, they must be as thin as humanly possible.

The problem is, this image does become deeply entrenched in the human psyche — among women and men. Much scientific research documents the fact that human minds process ad images as intended. Otherwise, why would advertising exist?

80s supermodels proved that you could be healthy and slim, that you had breasts (god forbid) and often hips and a booty besides. Simply stated, as a supermodel, you were thin but sensual. The vast majority of us would never look like any of these supermodel women, but it wasn’t dangerous to our health and wellbeing to try.

Sensual supermodels are now called a ‘relic of the past’, although most have been called up out of retirement the past two years. Believe it or not, they continue to have style credibility.

Chanel, Spring 2010 ready-to-wearIt irks me to no end that Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld, and the guys at Ralph Lauren in their Photoshop mishaps, try to brush off what is a very real change in the bodies of women who are suitable for modeling today.

When I saw this leg photo of a model in Karl Lagerfeld’s Spring 2010 runway show, I gasped. My calling these women “concentration camp survivors” is not an exaggeration. If Filippa Hamilton looked like the 80s supermodels at the top of this article, her Photoshopped self looks like the woman above.

Absolutely, the Supemodels models begin to look “fat” — not womanly and healthy — against photos like the one above.

Karl Lagerfeld, May 2000 via Huffington PostKarl Lagerfeld, now a 95-pound man, but formerly a fat one, has become the global ‘female body standard dictator’, who says that “no one wants to look at a woman with curves.”

Says who?

Looking at Natalia Vodianova’s body in Vogue’s May 2009 issue, photographed by Steven Meisel, in a series called The Great Pretender, I wonder if the design guys believe she’s “too fat”, too. With three children under those abs, will Vodianova soon be like in-demand Lara Stone, saying that she’s tired of being the fat girl at size 4?

As you’ll see in a moment, Lara Stone is anything but ‘fat’. Lagerfeld used her in what I wrote is a totally vacuous, Chanel commercial. See Chanel Dressing Room Movie Suppresses Sensuality Under the Weight of Material Desire. at Sensuality News.

In the midst of an advertising revenue crisis for magazines and news media, you won’t hear fashion editors asking Karl Lagerfeld and Ralph Lauren simple questions like: do you agree that model body images have changed since the 80s? When you say that no one wants to see women with curves, are you agreeing that Campbell, Seymour, Crawford and company were too fat, only we didn’t know it?

I want some fashion editor to hand Karl Lagerfeld a pile of photos of nearly naked women (or in the buff) and check off “fat” or “not fat”.

OR, can we call the advertising and runway reality for what it is, inspite of Robin Givhan writing that fat women are responsible for the change in “beauty imagery” and the pursuit of size zero models.

Natalia Vodianova in Vogue 2009, photo by Steven MeiselThe insistence that women pursue size zero bodies is not only dangerous to our health, but it smacks of a strong preference that women remain submissive and nonthreatening.

Muscle lust is disruptive to the psyches of men like Karl Lagerfeld. The Chanel visionary may be an enormously talented designer and fabulously creative person, but he is a tyrant with women.

I can’t imagine what Karl says about us in private, based on his public comments.

Women need to understand that there are prominent men who genuinely loathe women. Their mindset isn’t vastly different from the morality police, looking for a glimpse of ankle in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, and conducting breast-feel inspsections in Somalia.

As women, we let the people who detest us define us, setting our own vision of who we must be in the mirror. It’s a vicious cycle of women never measuring up.

Lara Stone in Karl Lagerfeld’s “Fitting Room Follies”

Lara Stone in Karl Lagerfeld’s sort film “Fitting Room Follies”Vast numbers of men don’t detest women, and they are on our side in this discussion.  For every guy who tells us that we look great, we search for the woman who lists our imperfections.

Why do so few male voices control us? We let them dominate our psyches, and then we women turn their negative views about women on ourselves and each other. So much for liberation.

Unlike Robin Givhan who argues that the fashion industry is only responding with the anti-statement to America’s out of control obesity, I believe that American women’s self-hatred and discomfort with body image leads to more eating and heaps more self-loathing.

There are multiple reasons why American women are so overweight, and a lack of self-discipline is clearly on the list. So is religion that condemns women as sinful and inherently evil sexually, and a food industry that says “biggie size it?” We have the American woman’s pursuit of perfection under impossible circumstances. and let me not forget that we are consumed with being judgemental over ourselves.

Ladies, we have learned our humility lessons well.

We’re all Eve in our own minds, responsible for the downfall of virtue and creation of suffering in every corner of the world. Hence, we must be told what to do by men like Karl Lagerfeld and Ralph Lauren, whose WASP imagery doesn’t speak to the liberation of women at all.

These same psychological, bad-woman challenges, dog women worldwide. Some cultures tongue-lash; others get out the whip. Women become collaborators in making other women feel badly.

How much is anthropological and how much learned behavior, I don’t know. But a woman can choose to “just say no”.

Fortunately, we have an exception. The French women have done the best at escaping outside influences that define them and are known for having a confident, holistic, sensual independence. We American women try to discredit this notion, but the French woman really does exist. I spent years with her.

Based on their body image and aging responses in Dove’s global beauty studies, the Italian and Brazilian women, as well as the French, are also far ahead of the American women in the self-love and self-respect departments.

Only when we turn off all those mostly male, patriarchal voices, stand in front of the bathroom mirror naked, and say “I love you”, will be begin to dig ourselves our of this rut. This is scientifically possible, and I will explain.

Loving ourselves, considering ourselves worthy and valuable as women is sinful, egotistic and not behaving in a virtuous manner in many societies. Only when our heads are humbly down are we in a virtuous position in many cultures or religions.

Women and children in broken-up Texas Mormon Polygamy sect, 2008Maureen Dowd reminded us this weekend that Pope Benedict wrote a document in 2004, urging women to be submissive partners, resisting any adversarial roles with men and cultivating “feminine values” like “listening, welcoming, humility, faithfulness, praise and waiting.” via The Nun’s Story

My lover explained this weekend that Pope Benedict is considered an eminent theologian in the Catholic Church, that he was elected Pope to bring the Catholic Church back into alignment with its traditional values. We track these changes at Anne of Carversville, and I fear that the patriarchy is on the move in many fronts.

Dealing with religious authorities is enough of a challenge for women worldwide. Defending ourselves as spiritual creatures in the onslaught of guilt is draining to many women around the world.

The dictatorial body-image guilt of the fashion industry has got to go. Our relationship with God and religious authorities is one thing to work on. Karl Lagerfeld and the fashion industry are small potatoes in the real meaning of life and not worth our mental energy.

We should not expect fashion to ‘get real’, especially in a world where size 4 Lara Stone is “curvy”, translated fat. As luxury moves Eastward, into more patriarchal societies with generally smaller and more obedient Asian women, that this emaciated trend will continue.

Asian women LOVE Karl; he is their man.

The size zero model will not become part of a wider roster of fashion imagery, until we kiss fashion goodbye.

No word yet whether or not the Svedka model will be working for Ralph Lauren or Karl Lagerfeld.Add the fact that we live in the airbrushed digital age, when women can become anything men wish visually, and you can expect us to become charicatures of our real selves. There’s unimaginable power in that computer design mouse, trust me.

Curve Power

The word “curvy” evolved as a positive word for women over size 12 or 14. It was a form of positive psychology to get plus-size women to love themselves and see their own beauty. In loving themselves, we hoped they would get healthy and care about eating more nutritiously.

Today, ‘curvy’ and ‘plus’ size describe the 80s supermodels, who are now fat. If I can’t be satisfied looking like Cindy Crawford (I don’t), then let’s just give up on fashion. It’s become totally Kafkaesque and destructive to our sanity.

We women must kiss off the fashion industry, seeing it for what it is, getting on with what matters in life. When designers support us, then we support them. Make it a contest for OUR affection and support, for heaven’s sake.

As fashion victims, we behave like sheepish women who never ask for a raise but complain about not getting one. We wait for men to see and validate our value. Without their affirmation, we must not be worth much.

Where’s the liberation in kowtowing to men who don’t like us in the first place. Did Coco Chanel knowtow? No. Katherine Hepburn? Nada. Angelina Jolie or Madonna? Not on your life. So what’s our damn problem that we are dictated to by men who deny that a woman with any curves is beautiful?

Maybe when babies are born in incubators in the future, then women will lose their curves. Today, biology is destiny, within reason.

We can take inspiration from women like Michelle Obama, Beyonce, Shakira and Lara Stone — as long as she doesn’t deliver on her threat to downsize away her already thin size 4 body. We can reclaim the 80s supermodels as the women we want to be.

It’s time for a return to Curve Power. Let’s have models with personalities, who do good work for people in the planet, whatever their size 0-14. Perhaps designer egos are totally out of control, thinking that women are coat racks for clothes. Let’s show them we’re not fashion roadkill.

Perhaps we need a fourth wave of feminism, one that is a true international collaboration among women of every age, size, marital status and sexuality persuasion.

In a bit of encouraging news, my earlier post Every Woman Should Own a Copy of “Uncovered” & Watch Meredith Viera’s NBC “Today Show” interview with Jordan Matter is gaining some Internet traction, moving into our top 10 articles the last several days.

This article was written before the Ralph Lauren incidents and focuses on the challenges that women have accepting our naked bodies as beautiful, not disgusting.  Meredith’s interview was very well done, and I urge you to watch the video.

After watching the Today Show interview and reading about Jordan Matter’s book “Uncovered”, think about another fact of female physiology, one in your own brain.

I can imagine your response, when I wrote “just say no” to totally unhealthy and unattainable and undesireable fashion-industry images. You think that because these images are everywhere, that you must absorb them.

Not true. As a woman of any size, you can train your brain to hate the model and even the brand, not yourself for failing to live up to the size zero standard of beauty.

The Brain’s Reticular Activating System of RAS

The brain system controlling our conscious perceptions is called the ‘reticular activating system’ or RAS. This data filtering brain mechanism asks three essential questions while processing billions of data bits in minutes: 1. Is the information important for our survival? 2. Is the information new or different? 3. Does the information have high emotional content for us?

You’ve read about visualization techniques, and heard expressions like “mind over matter”. This is the essence of RAS.

In my case, I’ve programmed my mind to reject body images that look like concentration-camp victims because I know that they are unhealthy and deadly. I’m too smart a woman to be led around by the nose, with fashion imagery that kills and maims women.

Today, my brain responds favorably only to photos of the 80s supermodels as beautiful, healthy, desirable women. I adore Lara Stone but not if she becomes a size zero. I do exercise frequently and I admit that being attractive is important to me.

My brain totally rejects as ugly, non-sexual, and powerless the images of Karl Lagerfeld women. I am so opposed to their effect on me, that I’m not even aware that my RAS brain system wouldn’t let them pass into my conscious mind.

Free at last! The tyranny is over! You can do the same, ladies, just like an indy French woman.

You can override fashion industry images with your brain’s own RAS system. You can implement the same system with food ads (Big Macs and Whoppers make me retch, and it’s all mental) and any other commercial message you chose to ignore.

So ladies, we have far more power over our minds than we realize. As consumers, we do not have to accept any standard of beauty the industry perpetuates. Just make them into harmful, negative, hated RAS messages and your brain will respond pronto.

Do not be ambivalent. This is a willful decision on your part, and you must remain consistent.

If you’re hot (or want to be) and you’d like to kick a little butt in life, you must have better legs to stand on, than the ones favored by Karl Lagerfeld.

Steven Klein Shoots Lara Stone in W Mag’s The Academy

Steven Klein shoots Lara Stone in The Academy for W Magazine; via Sexy FuturesIf you choose Karl’s preferred body type because you love it, fine. God bless you, my dear. It’s your right.

However, as a strong Smart Sensuality woman who likes fashion, you do not have to accept size zero models as a gold standard of beauty, because “no one loves curves.”

Lagerfeld’s statement condemns women, and we don’t have to swallow the Kaiser’s opinions, when he freely admits that he has no sensual response to women in the first place.

Strong, deeply sensual, Amazonian women like the 80s supermodels are Karl Lagerfeld’s worst nightmare. Both Freud and Jung would agree on that fact. In the same way that Steven Klein imbues Lara Stone with power in The Academy, Karl Lagerfeld takes it away in “Fitting Room Follies”

Tell your RAS system to only admit messages from men who truly love women not as property, or commercial revenue, or as submissive helpmates, or lesser beings of any sort, and you will surround yourself with men (and women) who will speed you on the road to self-confidence and self-love in countries that allow it legally.

Of course, only you can drive your own roadster.

I promise you, there is relief ahead from fashion-image tyranny and sniping fashiohistas, if you put yourself in charge of your own RAS system, train it to loathe designers who don’t love real women, and don’t take your foot off the gas pedal for ANY reason.

Love to all. Anne