Former Vogue Editor Reveals Darker Side of Fashion Industry, Says ‘Models Eating Tissues To Stay Thin’

Kirstie Clements, the former editor-in-chief of Vogue Australia, has made shocking revelations in her book 'The Vogue Factor' about the glamorous fashion world. In her new release, she states that under the pressure to stay extremely thin, models stuff themselves with tissue paper to curb their appetite.

Clements served as the editor of Vogue Australia for 13 years in a career spanning 25 years with the magazine before being sacked in May 2012. She unveils a rather unpleasant side of the glossy and sensational world of fashion in her book.

Affirming that the models keep themselves away from food and starve for days to achieve the skinny look, she recollected a three-day photo shoot in Marrakesh where the top model with whom she was working did not eat a single meal. As a result, the model could hardly stand up or keep her eyes open by the end of the third day of shooting.

The author of 'The Vogue Factor' also mentioned about her flatmate, a Russian model, who was a "fit model", a size used by design houses to test samples. Clements recounted that the model was often rushed to hospital to be fed with drips for skipping solid food.

Clements also wrote that when dieting did not help them in reducing their weight, the models would resort to breast reduction surgery just to appear thinner.

The author also revealed that there were different measures of thinness in the fashion world.

"When a model who was getting good work in Australia starved herself down two sizes in order to be cast in the overseas shows... the Vogue fashion office would say she'd become 'Paris thin'."

The book was penned by Clements after she was abruptly dismissed and replaced by Edwina McCann, a former editor of Harper's Bazaar Australia. Her claim of models starving to death to remain thin and slender was in chorus with fashion industry insiders, reported Times of India.

Similar claims were made in 2010 by Amy Lemons, a former Vogue cover girl, who claimed to have seen models eat cotton balls dipped in juice to stave off hunger pangs.