Crystal Renn is one of those models that used to be a size 00 and then she realized that her lifestyle was killing her literally and otherwise so she gave up on the whole starvation thing and returned to the modeling game as a plus-sized model. She’s a size 10 now, when she first returned to the scene she was a size 12. Average.
For the October issue of Vogue Paris, Crystal shot this spread with photographer Terry Richardson. Both Terry and Crystal have a history of doing somewhat scandalous and highly sexual photographs, so the two of them together were bound to come up with something we haven’t seen before.
But the binge-eating theme they dreamed up, while oddly sexy, is causing a lot of controversy. Some are saying that Crystal is encouraging either binge eating or trying to show people how ugly it can look. Personally, I think they’re awesome photos and I was so distracted by how interesting they were to look at that I didn’t think of what statement they were trying to make. And honestly? Homegirl’s not a fatty or something. She still looks like a model binging on pasta to me, and I don’t think that that’s something really worth blowing out of proportion.
What about you guys? Do you see why concerns are being raised, or do you think that this is just another series of odd photos from Terry Richardson?
As a former plus-size model and the long-time editor of The Manolo’s blog for big girls, these photos don’t really bother me at all. Partially, because no one but no one thinks Crystal Renn is an actual plus-size model, they just don’t have a name for straight-sized models over a four. She’s a great gal, I think she even gave me a shout out in her memoirs, but she doesn’t have a responsibility to be a good fat girl role model, especially since she’s a size 8/10. She’s an editorial model, she takes risks. Whatever.
If I was going to be offended, I’d be a lot more bothered with the ones from Paris Vogue where she’s naked except for a leather jacket, Her Martha and both her Vandellas swinging in the breeze while she’s trussed up to some scaffolding like a haute couture sex crime waiting to happen. Or any of the dozens of shoots that feature true plus-size models mostly naked, because it fetishizes a certain body type and adds to the idea that fat girls are easy (which, fair enough, many are, but I don’t think they’re disproportionately so)
At this point unless she does an editorial where she’s literally having sex with a donkey –especially chosen by Carine Roitfeld– I’m not going to be shocked.