A Dutch model’s butt was at the centre of a court battle that ended in her favour today after a modeling agency fired her for having a big behind.
Ananda Marchildon, a past winner of Holland’s Next Top Model, took Elite modeling agency to court after it denied her the full prize she won at the end of the 2008 TV production.
The agency cut Marchildon’s three-year $98,378 contract after she had completed only $13,122 worth of work because her hips were too large for its liking.
The Amsterdam District Court ruled that although the 25-year-old model had put on weight after winning the competition, Elite cannot demand that she reduces her hip size to 90 centimetres because she measured 92 centimetres when she was announced a winner.
Ninety centimetres, which is about 35 inches, translates into a U.S. size two, which is a regular size for models.
After Elite fired Marchildon, a Netherlands underwear company, Sloggi, gave the model a one-time shooting gig to show that she is still fit for modeling.
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The case has created an uproar against the modeling industry, which has been criticized in the past for promoting unrealistic body images.
Lee Giles, who is the executive director at Sheena’s Place, a centre for people with eating disorders in Toronto, says the modeling industry’s body size expectations lower girls’ self-esteem and encourage unhealthy eating habits.
“It can lead to people being obsessed about what they look like … it can lead to people having […] mental health issues, which are eating disorders.”
Part of the irony brought up by this court case is that celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez have popularized larger butts.
According to the American Society of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons, 5,000 Brazilian butt lift procedures were performed in 2008.
The procedure involves injecting hundreds of fat cells into the buttocks, with the end goal of achieving something close to Kim Kardashian’s behind.
“The butt lift over the last two or three years has doubled or tripled in popularity,” said plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Martin Jugenburg. “It used to be that a flat butt was popular but that’s out of fashion. Now people want to have nice healthy curves.”
But when it comes to being fit enough for the runway, ICON Model Management agent Dina Nikoletos says slim butts are still very much in fashion. Requiring models to have hips that are no wider than 35 inches is just the “reality of the industry,” she said.
“The designer is trying to sell clothes, if you stick out of them, that won’t work and 3/4 inch can make the difference.”
She added that agencies simply cannot find jobs for girls with wider hips.
Nonetheless, Giles says Marchildon’s victory sends out a positive message to women of all sizes.
“It’s the best news ever. It’s a message that says people should be comfortable in a healthy body size.”
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