The size debate continued...

What to make of the furore created by the plus-size models used on the catwalk during London Fashion Week?
The knitwear designer Mark Fast used three size 12 and 14 models in his catwalk show.

His stylist then supposedly walked out after refusing to work with the models.

However the stylist, Erika Kurihara disputes this claim in Grazia, saying that she didn't feel that the three girls were experienced enough on the catwalk

"If we were going to make a statement by using girls who are larger than people are used to seeing on the catwalk it needed to be well-executed."
Having only 2 weeks before the show to coach the girls, Erika just felt they were not up to the expected standard.

I have to say I agree with her, these girls would have had minimal catwalk experience as there is not a demand for larger models on the catwalk.
Therefore it seems as if the whole issue has been misconstrued, yet it has inevitably become a hot topic of debate, threatening to eclipse not only Fast's show but the whole of London Fashion Week.

Some would say that the use of these girls has served to highlight further the growing gap between "real women" and models.

I am however struggling to understand what is meant by the term "real women". Are models not "real women"? What does this term which is constantly bandied about in the press actually mean?

I think it is absolutely ridiculous to claim that you have to look a certain way to qualify as a "real woman".

Fast's brave use of these girls perhaps will not change the industry as a whole but it did make people sit up take notice, challenging their perceptions of what to expect on the catwalk.

In my opinion the size issue still raging in the media is becoming increasingly boring topic.

I think there may room for larger models in magazines and advertising campaigns yet although this may be controverisal I' m not sure they have a place on the catwalk.

One of the plus-size models used in Fast's show was the proud owner of 34DD breasts, surely no-one could keep their eyes of these untethered assets as she strode down the catwalk in Fast's artfully constructed minimal knitwear?

Let's face it thinner girls create a more fluid line on the catwalk showing off the clothes and not the body beneath.

RECENT UPDATE: Mark Fast said "I didn't think it would get so much attention. I just thought, 'They're beautiful. Let's do it. Let's have fun,'" the Canadian designer tells this weekend's Style magazine of his decision to include size 12 models in his show.

"The way I work is organic and on the body. With the curvier girls, I was able to make the clothes specifically for them. Seeing them walking up and down the corridor was such a moment. It was exciting to see their characters in my pieces," Fast, who graduated from Central Saint Martins three years a go, adds. "The show has opened up his customer base," says Browns Focus buyer (where Fast is stocked exclusively) Jemma Dyas. "After the show, we had a host of customers from size six to 16 coming in."