British Vogue Editorial Director Expresses Concern Over Resurgence of Skinny Models

Chioma Nnadi, the editorial director of British Vogue, has stated that the fashion industry “should be concerned” about a renewed trend towards employing more slender models. Nnadi indicated that this shift, which follows recent advancements in body diversity, has been partially driven by the increasing popularity of Ozempic. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she remarked, “I do think maybe perhaps Ozempic has something to do with it.” She further commented, “We’re in this moment where we’re seeing the pendulum sort of swing back to skinny being ‘in’ and often these things are treated like a trend and we don’t want them to be.” When presenter Emma Barnett inquired about the factors contributing to this trend, Nnadi responded, “I don’t think we can pin it on any one thing.” She elaborated, “I do think that Ozempic has something to do with it because we’re seeing a lot of celebrities who are using it, and I think there’s this shift in the culture around how we think about our bodies and how we address our bodies.” Nnadi expressed her belief that it was “important that all bodies are represented” within the fashion industry, noting that this was a concern for her and her colleagues. She continued, “Thinking about the models that we can have in our [photo] shoots is very important,” and added, “And it was very important that we included models who were not sample size.” However, she stated, “But I think it’s not something that we, as a magazine, can change on our own, because obviously the designers are making clothes that are sample size.” Commenting on the most recent fashion weeks, events where designers present their new collections, Nnadi observed, “I didn’t think there was enough representation as far as body diversity.” She also noted, “And it felt almost like, at certain shows, the models were especially thin.” Nnadi expressed hope, stating, “Hopefully the season will be a wake-up call and it won’t be that we see that kind of negative trend [and] that we see that progress.” Nnadi assumed her role at the UK edition of Vogue in October of last year, succeeding Edward Enninful, the magazine’s former editor. Her job title was altered to head of editorial content upon her arrival, yet Nnadi remains the most senior individual at the publication. Ozempic has gained popularity in the US in recent years, with its usage also rising in the UK. Additional reporting was provided by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.