Pugs Not Drugs.

Two things have happened recently that have, for lack of a better phrase, really gotten up in my grill. Yes, I did just say that.

One, I have been ill. I am no good at being ill. I am a workaholic and the idea of not being physically able to work fills me with dread. I spend my days in bed watching commissioned crap otherwise known as “Daytime TV”. The most stable relationship present in my little life goes off balance; my relationship with food hits a Kim K sized bump in the road as I live off white bread, jam and kiwi fruits for days on end. For some this may sound like heaven but, I assure you, it is not. It is my idea of hell, it is my equivalent of having a dinner party with Madonna, Perez Hilton and Paris Hilton – a platter of bony bodies, blank expressions and irritations at all angles.

The second is Cara Delevigne.

Now, I whole heartedly believe that you cannot hate nor dislike a “celebrity” figure whom you do not know. You can dislike what they stand for, yes. But, you cannot dislike them.

My beef with Cara stems predominantly from the world she derives. Cara’s world is a world that revolves around a core of all things skinny, "beautiful", chiselled and leggy. Cara's world is one I have worked in myself. No, no, I have not graced the cover of Vogue or strutted my stuff along the catwalk at Chanel and Burberry - quite obviously, I have not. I was indeed one of the many minions that sat behind an office desk playing Pictionary and letting the words "on trend" dribble from my mouth more regularly than my own name. "Oh my, your skirt, you are sooooo ON TREND". "What did you have for breakfast?" "Muesli with greek yogurt" "Oh my, how ON TREND". Even the words in written form leave me all of a quiver.

I would rather appreciate fashion on my own terms than work within in it on someone else's.

I for one, could no longer be a part of an industry that pretends to support women whilst bombarding them with impossible images of so-called “perfection”. Whilst I am not an expert, nor can I lay claim to years upon years of experience within the fashion industry, I am a girl, and I have eyes. Eyes which have seen what goes on both in front of, and behind, the camera.

It may not come as a surprise to you but, the images you see in magazines are ENTIRELY IMPOSSIBLE. In life, we do not have an entourage of professionals priming and primping every hair that happens to fall across our heavily made-up face. I kid you not, during a photo shoot for a fashion magazine, you would be lucky to get six shots before a stylist, hairdresser or makeup artist leaps in to paint, spray, comb and pin every miniscule of a models minute frame. After the “production”, and never has the word been used more appropriately, closes its curtains, room is made for the “make-believers” to erase very possible imperfection  imaginable – a poxy spot, a crinkled hand, a solitary hair or, if you are Sienna Miller, a crooked grin (Sienna's Vogue US 2007 cover sees her smile made 'less toothy' via the infamous airbrush and her neck and shoulders switched in from a previous and unrelated shot).

If you need further convincing, watch The September Issue, everything I hate about the fashion industry is crammed into 140mins with not a laugh to mention. Ah, this is a whole other blog post.

My issue with the fashion industry this week stems from their failure to acknowledge and further, take action on, an incident which hit the papers early last week: Cara's little habbit.

By ignoring the incident in question, Cara has quite simply gotten away with the possession (and use - she ain't dusting no cupcakes) of DRUGS. Which makes me wonder, is ignorance really that blissful?

  

What message does this send to teens decorating their walls with pictures of Cara, those with eyebrows unruly and untamed in homage to Cara's big, bushy brow? If you are young, rich and beautiful, you can get away with anything…even substance abuse?

So why, in a world so insistant of capturing every waking moment of their fashionistas, have they skipped capturing this? Well, quite obviously, it shows imperfection. Something the fashion world has no liking for and further, no willingness to promote. Imperfection is a dirty word in the world of fashion, it is like trying to squeeze a heard of buffalo into a Mini Cooper...it just doesn't fit. But by ignoring the problem entirely, they have sent out a message that is deeply troubling. A message that is far from healthy for our teens to be digesting. It implies that Cara's behaviour is normal and not worthy of a mention. Fashion has shrugged it's shoulders and uttered "meeeehhh" to DRUGS.

What else is okay? The subjection of women?

It is about time the fashion world admitted it's faults, banished all ideas of perfection and gave us something real. A reaction that is not as bland as a celery stick would be a good place to start.

And, if the package in question does appear to be a clear bag full of Cara’s fave sweetner, I shall eat my words…and the sweetner for that matter. Until that moment, I shall remain confussed, short of compassion and somewhat disappointed.

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