The British Fashion Council has introduced new guidelines as has New York state. However, there have been industry moves to change things, notably during the biannual catwalk shows. Kate Moss was scouted when she was 14 and Naomi Campbell when she was just 15. The use of young models in fashion is not new. I’m an opportunist, a fashion opportunist, but there’s nothing bad about that because that’s our business,” he says.
That’s the girls of the moment, fashion is about the moment. They can identify even if it’s not the same age group. Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld is pragmatic: “The public wants to see them (clothes, glasses) on girls like this.