Younger generations seem to be more open to diversity and demand more transparency and inclusiveness. However, several specialists are warning about the return of the Heroin Chic trend.

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The Heroin Chic Movement

The term heroin chic is associated with the tragic fate of model Gia Carangi. The 26 year old American falls into the downward spiral of heroin. She died of AIDS in 1986. We are in the years 2000 and the industry of fashion falls in the apology of the drug, the thinness and the eating disorders.

We are witnessing an explosion on the catwalks of models with androgynous looks, dark circles around the eyes, pale skin and skeletal silhouettes. The cult of thinness dominates. The heroine began to be popularized in artistic circles and some photographers wanted to capture the aesthetics of the “woman on drugs”.

The young women of the time with eating disorders multiply to erect the Heroin Chic trend and look like their favorite model.

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The return of the cult of slimness

This celebration of slimness takes hold in the media and online. The pro-ana groups from 2014’s Tumblr, are back in full force and promoting eating disorders. Kim Kardashian shares her drastic diets to fit into a Marilyn Monroe dress, admits to removing her Brazilian Butt Fit and sports a very slimmed down figure. After being the model of the “Bootylicious” movements, the reality TV queen is taking the Heroin Chic side.

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The era of bootylicious

Strong personalities, such as the African-American singer Lizzo or the French singer Yseult, are transparent in their fight against the cult of slimness. They speak out and do not intend to let go of their values and their claims. For centuries, women have had to bend their bodies to the trends and beauty standards of their time.

The popularization of body-positivism has allowed us to celebrate anomalies and imperfections as synonyms of new beauty. The phenomenon of society infiltrates the communicators who make it a real marketing argument. For example, the brand Diesel has released a campaign “Go With The Flaw” which features a cast of unabashed models. The artistic director emphasizes “Being unique is so much more beautiful than being perfect”.

The standardization of sizes has long rejected a majority of the population. Women with large shapes and figures have been denied access to clothes in their size. The challenge of the next decades would be to stop reducing women’s bodies to ephemeral trends launched by the fashion industry.