Catwalk waifs bad for fashion says Biba founder

Published on Wednesday 15 February 2012 00:00

Waif-like models are not “good for fashion” and their presence on catwalks suggests the industry has lost its way, the founder of fashion store Biba has warned.

Barbara Hulanicki, who set up the iconic company in the 1960s “when everyone was naturally thin”, said ultra-skinny girls did not show clothes to their best.

“I don’t think it’s good for fashion because all the clothes look like they’re on hangers,” she said. “Women have boobs and hips and thighs.”

The perfect look, she added, was a healthy and sporty figure rather than a stick-thin one.

Speaking after receiving an OBE for services to the fashion industry at Buckingham Palace in London, the Polish-born designer said: “The runway thing, in Europe especially, has become a form of art and they all seem to have forgotten it’s for women like you and me. I think they’re using girls who have no connection with everyday life.

“It’s more fun to have girls who are really healthy and work out a lot.

“They can still be skinny but not rakish.”

Of her New Year honour, she said: “It’s very exciting and unexpected.”

Shoe designer Emma Hope was also honoured for services to fashion yesterday.

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