When I stepped onto that terrace at Somerset House the second day of LFW, I was at a loss for words. For anyone who’s ever met me, you’ll know how scarce that is. I rarely get star-struck. You should ask my friends. Mainly because I don’t realise who most people are. Or I know the most inane celebrities (hey, check him out, he’s from Hollyoaks!). I spent most of NYFW simultaneously offending and confusing various well known* people by going up to them with my camera and asking if I could take a picture because everyone else was doing it, and btw did they have a new album out or something?**

Going on at 10am on the second day of LFW, on a Saturday morning was ‘the’ Rankin (I wasn’t as starstruck, I apologise. I met Rankin during Rankin Live. But I was still hella excited) doing a live shoot for All Walks Beyond The Catwalk. Set up by Debra Bourne, Caryn Franklin and Erin O’Connor, the All Walks campaign, now in it’s third season, is responsible for and committed to broadening the narrow guidelines for the models used for London Fashion Week, specifically widening the net for age, size and ethnicity. Nine designers previewed their SS11 looks in the shoot; Alice Temperley, Antonio Berardi, Betty Jackson, Giles Deacons, Hussein Chalayan, Matthew Williamson, Osman Yousefzada, Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood.

*subjective
**See Carlos Miele

I first heard of All Walks when I took part in “Everybody Counts” back in February, which questioned whether current fashion imagery represented individuality. I, of the large maw, obviously said no and thought I was dead witty. I don’t blame them for picking the image that made me look like a garden variety perv.

“My name’s Sabrina, but you can call me ‘Peeping Tom.’”

Apart from taking pictures of verified lunatics (i.e. myself) – remember that whole furore over Mark Fast using three models from a plus-size agency, causing  his show stylist quit three days before the show. One of the models used was Hayley Morley, from the 12+ agency, introduced to Fast by All Walks. Fast probably knew that his decision would send “shockwaves” (I use that term lightly) through the fashion world, but it was a smart move. Apart from a scarce few designers, plus size is, I fear is a gimmick. The models walking NYFW and LFW were even more emaciated than ever, and to hold up an example, at the Daks show just before the All Walks shoot, I saw a model who was wearing a sleeveless dress was too big for her and merely worked to highlight her prominently bony shoulders. Off the runway, one need no look further than the recent Chanel campaign featuring Crystal Renn’s head and shoulders only. Deliberate or not, we’ll never know, but the echoes of Karl Lagerfeld saying that ‘no one wants to see curvy women’ still ring in our ears. In print, V Magazine did a plus sized issue. Why is it necessary to highlight this issue and then return to the accepted norm? As I said, gimmicky.

“Beauty is not a pant size.” - Crystal Renn

Personally, I hate the term plus size. Compared to what? Not being a UK 4? Having a curve to your derriere and having a cleavage without having to hoick them up to high heaven? What is plus size?

The lovely Naomi Shimada, who has been in the modelling industry on and off for the past 10 years and is now signed to 12+ UK, tells me that plus size is usually a UK 12 and over. What about the grey area inbetween? Sizes 6-10? Shimada states although that is still considered ‘normal’ for a model to be signed by a regular agency, but you’d rarely see that. Being a stylist myself, I obviously work with a lot of models and have quite a bit of experience with their agencies.  A model who I worked with  told me that she found it hard to be booked on jobs as her agency had told her to lose a couple of inches around her hips. Her 36″ hips. An absolutely gorgeous girl who was a good few inches taller than me (I’m 5’7). It sickens me. It really does. The blame can’t be attributed to just the fashion industry, we ourselves have to also to look at our own attitudes and how we perpetuate this culture.

Naomi realised that her health took precedence over fitting her agency norm. She states that she used to be “normal size” (for a model) but the endangerment to her health wasn’t worth the risk.

“All Walks is incredible, and I do get to work with the most amazing women.” - Naomi Shimada

When asked if I wanted to interview Erin O’ Connor, my cow eyes swelled to even more epic proportions. Feeling suddenly shy, myself and two other bloggers went over to her. There is nothing that compares to meeting someone you admire in person. My mouth was dry and I felt a tad light-headed, but I think the jetlag was also to blame for that. Erin is even more statuesque and elegant in person. And so very gracious and down to earth.

“What ‘All Walks’ is for is to educate the next generation.” - Erin O’Connor

The Model Sanctuary, first set up by Erin in 2007, is part of the improvement of working conditions for models during London Fashion Week. Models have a space to relax during shows, and castings, and have access to nutritionists and therapists. Modelling is a lonely business, and the pressures within the industry do take its emotional and physical toil, and to have somewhere to have a break, a neutral space to chill out, have something to eat, and meet fellow models is a boon. There’s artwork on the walls done by students from the London College of Fashion, and additionally beauty students can practice make-up looks on the models who come by.

When I look all these women, who are all breath-takingly stunning and self-assured, and have the most wonderful spirit, I wonder how I can do them justice with my words. Then I realise that as long as I can spread the word about their work, it doesn’t really matter what I say, as long as their message is clear.

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Gallery images courtesy of Bunnipunch