Amateurs Only

Spiegel Online discusses a bit of fashion news, by way of Germany's Brigitte Magazine.

From the brief...

German women's magazine Brigitte has declared it will no longer use professional models in its fashion shoots. But reaction to the first all-amateur issue has been mixed, with observers criticizing the magazine for not going far enough to fight anorexia...

Indeed, the amateur models in the January issue reflect the diversity that Huber says the magazine is trying to show. They range in ages from 20 to 45 and work as artists, receptionists, teachers and restaurateurs. "Beauty has many faces," says Huber.

The initiative, which made headlines around the world when it was announced in October 2009, is partly a reaction to concerns that overly thin models promote anorexia among women. "Brigitte has always had the interests of real women at heart," Huber says. "Our magazine encourages them to be self-confident and promotes a healthy self-image." Brigitte is one of Germany's top-selling women's magazines and belongs to the Gruner+Jahr media group, which is also part-owner of SPIEGEL.