French Luxury Fashion Giants To Ban ‘Size Zero’ Models

“We hope to inspire the entire industry to follow suit,” said Kering’s chairman

Two of the biggest fashion firms in the world have announced that they will stop hiring underweight models. 

French fashion groups LVMH and Kering, whose labels include Christian Dior, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton and Gucci, signed a charter pledging to abandon size zero models. According to the BBC, models “must be bigger than a French size 32 for women, which corresponds to a UK size six or US size zero.” Both firms will also not use models over the age of 16.

“Respecting the dignity of all women has always been both a personal commitment for me and a priority for Kering as a group,” said Kering’s chairman Francois-Henri Pinault.

“We hope to inspire the entire industry to follow suit, thus making a real difference in the working conditions of fashion models industry-wide,” he adds. 

The change comes ahead of fashion weeks in New York, London and Paris.