The bones around their shoulders stand out prominently, and their ribs are visible through the skin. Model Bella Hadid, 26, was photographed topless with a slim body for Balenciaga’s fall campaign. Almost at the same time, Kim Kardashian, 42, lost seven pounds in just a few weeks to fit into her dress for the Met Gala. Known for her feminine curves since then, the entrepreneur showed off with a rather slender body.
The US newspaper “New York Post” took the weight changes of the two women as an opportunity to announce the return of slim bodies. The caption read “Goodbye booty: Heroin Chic is back”.
This refers to a trend in the 1990s and 2000s that glorified women from the fashion industry with emaciated figures, pale skin, and dark circles under the eyes. Characteristics associated with heroin or other drug use. Back then, supermodel Kate Moss (48) was seen as representative of this “heroin chic” aesthetic in the early stages of her career.
«Our bodies are not in trend»
The return of “Heroin Chic” is now triggering a social media disapproval. British actress Jameela Jamil, 36, who promoted healthy self-touching on her platforms, was outraged and wrote on Instagram: “Our bodies are not on trend.” Most of his 3.7 million followers agreed with him in the comments.
Cultural scientist and writer Elisabeth Lechner, 32, is content with this resistance to the “heroin chic”. She did her PhD in body positivity at the University of Vienna and has been dealing with female body image for several years now. “Reactions show that it has been rethought and the body positivity movement has accomplished a lot,” she tells Blick. “More and more people now know that health is more than just a number on a scale.”
This is because different bodies are increasingly represented on the catwalks, in advertising, and in popular culture. Proud of her fat physique, US singer Lizzo (34) is one of the most successful musicians of recent years, and in 2020, the triple-curvy model walked the catwalk for the first time at Versace. “It showed women that beauty is diverse and that lean bodies are primarily about marketing a profitable, unattainable ideal,” says Lechner.
«The marketing strategy of fashion labels to stay relevant»
While the beauty ideal of the slender woman has never disappeared and, according to the expert, has faded into the background in recent years, she does not believe that “heroin chic” will be accepted by the general public. There is a lot of critical information available.
So why is this trend rising again now? “Beauty ideals are always changing, with the economic interests of the fashion and diet industry behind them,” says Lechner. “To stay relevant, it must market new ideals and set emphasis.” It’s a marketing strategy for brands like Balenciaga, especially with a well-known model that’s suddenly much thinner than usual to run a campaign. They seem to have managed to attract attention.