Model Appetite

From the mouths of babes… Supermodel quote of the day:

“But for the time being, I’ve only learned one cake recipe and how to make scrambled eggs.”

— Eva Herzigová

You’ve seen the T-shirts.

“Don’t feed the models.”

You’ve heard the rumours.

“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”

So…

Do models actually eat?

Yes.

Eventually.

The fashion industry has always had a complicated relationship with food.

For decades there was enormous pressure to be as lean as possible, and with that came countless myths, questionable diets and some genuinely unhealthy behaviours.

I heard all the stories.

Some were exaggerated.

Some, unfortunately, weren’t.

Thankfully, the industry has been changing.

Slowly.

Not perfectly.

But enough that health is becoming far more fashionable than hunger.

Personally, I was blessed—or cursed, depending on the casting—with a healthy appetite.

I have always loved food.

Good food.

Comfort food.

Holiday food.

The sort of food that makes you immediately wonder whether there’s room for dessert.

The day before a swimwear shoot I’d occasionally think,

“Perhaps I should have eaten a few more salads this month.”

About as useful as a British backpacker applying sunscreen at 3:30 in the afternoon.

The opportunity had well and truly passed.

One of my favourite examples of fashion irony came during Sydney Fashion Week.

I was modelling in a Tigerlily swimwear show.

The sponsor?

Häagen-Dazs.

Behind the curtain sat freezers overflowing with ice cream.

On the other side waited a room full of fashion editors.

Cruel doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Contrary to popular belief, models don’t survive exclusively on celery sticks and sparkling water.

There are late-night pizzas after shoots.

Birthday cake in the studio.

Coffee.

Far too much coffee.

Craft-service tables that everyone pretends not to visit while quietly circling back for another biscuit.

Models are human.

Shocking, I know.

Looking back, I wish the industry had talked less about measurements and more about strength.

Bodies aren’t meant to be identical.

Some are naturally lean.

Some are athletic.

Some have hips inherited from generous grandmothers.

(Thanks again, Grandma.)

The older I’ve become, the less interested I am in fitting someone else’s ideal.

Food has fuelled adventures across dozens of countries.

It has introduced me to cultures, families and memories I’d never trade for a smaller dress size.

That’s a far better relationship with food than any diet could ever offer.

Although…

I still regret not stealing a tub of Häagen-Dazs before that fashion parade.