Agnes Hedengård Calls Out Fat-Shaming In The Modeling Industry
she was told she is “too fat” to model
Over the past few months, many have called out the modeling and fashion world for fat-shaming women and perpetuating unhealthy body-image standards. Recently, British retailer Topshop upset people with the entirely too-skinny mannequins the brand was using to display its clothes, and the company promptly notified customers that they would no longer be using those mannequins. But even with these small stories of success, a Swedish model's recent experience with modeling agencies shows that we still have a long way to go.
Agnes Hedengård stands at 5 ft. 11 in. tall with a BMI of 17.5, which, in the medical community, is considered underweight. However, this didn't stop modeling agencies from telling the 19-year-old that she is "too fat" to model. In response, Hedengård stood in front of a mirror in her undergarments and made a video, calling out the ridiculous and unhealthy standards of the industry.
"I don't get any more jobs since the industry thinks I'm too big. They think my butt is too big, and they think my hips are too wide," she says. "According to the modeling industry, you cannot look like this. You need to be thinner."
Hedengård confesses that she decided to make the video to share the darker aspects of the industry and its expectations: "It's absurd, and I hate it." Hopefully this video will inspire more dialogue about these problems and spark greater change within the industry.
