More Proof That It's Better to Be a Model Than a Supermodel

“The Betrayal of a Supermodel”—so read the title of a recent article by Sarah Horne in the New York Post’s Page Six Magazine. The writer traced the rise and fall of supermodel Gemma Ward, who whizzed into the modeling spotlight as a wispy sixteen-year-old and got shoved back into the wings a few years and a few—15 give or take—pounds later.

Now, first of all, I have an issue with the way this story is framed. The article includes a photo of Ward walking in the Chanel show that apparently did her in. The picture reveals a girl who may be in the “normal” weight range for the general public, but, let’s face it, models are held to a higher standard. Models needn’t be emaciated (more on that later), but they do have to maintain a fairly consistent size so the clients booking them know what to expect. That’s just part of the job. By the looks of Ward’s thighs in this shot, I would say Chanel was betrayed, not the model. It’s one thing to tell a toothpick-sized girl to lose weight; it’s another to tell a supermodel making $3 million a year that if she lets herself go, she’s out. I’d say that’s fair enough. Ward continued to gain weight after her infamous Chanel appearance, which is totally fine—most women do as they hit their 20s (I gained my freshman-15 back then and had a jolly time doing it!). But, by doing so, Ward made the choice to move on, reportedly to acting. Good for her. After making millions, why not?

So why do I say it’s better to be a model than a supermodel? Well, when you are just a lowly model, if anyone is discussing the size of your thighs, it’s a client and/or your agent, not press and bloggers worldwide. Also, you are likely to have a couple of extra inches wiggle room before anyone gets into a heated discussion about your measurements. Most of my 5’10” modeling friends and I hovered near 130 pounds. According to Horne’s article, 5’9″ top model Natalia Vodianova received complaints from clients when she weighed 115 and 5’10” Coco Rocha resorted to diuretics when she was told to drop below 108! All I can say is that I, at 124 pounds (achieved due to a crush on a male model, not any extreme diet measures) was told to gain weight (German clients—bless them).

I’m not saying models of the non-super variety are exempt from the weight watch. I did get some flak about cellulite once or twice and about my widening middle when I overdid it at Christmas and showed up for a swimwear shoot packing a few extra pounds. My response? Well, yes, I have cellulite and it’s unsightly stuff, and yes, I shouldn’t show up at a shoot without the waist that appeared on my comp card. That’s false advertising. And I’m not saying the fashion world isn’t vicious at the top or that some of the girls walking the big-time runways aren’t sickeningly skinny and that some of them got that way through sick means; I’m just saying forget the millions at the top and stick with the five-to-six-figure career—there are burgers and beer down here, not barfing and bad press.