Jameela Jamil/Instagram
Advisory: Expletives are used in outrage throughout the article.
Angry, Outraged, filled with rage and vengeance is the roller-coaster of feelings that I felt while reading this god-awful headline in The New York Post by Journalist Adriana Diaz who has done a massive disservice to her fellow women with her words. But I don’t place complete fault on her as she is a writer for a publication that she works for is at fault the most as they get paid to write this shit which is fueled by the toxic diet culture advertisers.
What does Heroin Chic mean?
Kate Moss as a heroin chic trend perpetrator/Genius
Let’s jump in to understand what exactly is the Heroin Chic trend about. The Heroin Chic trend was a style popularized in the early-1990s fashion industry and characterized by pale skin, dark circles underneath the eyes, emaciated features, androgyny and stringy hair — all traits associated with abuse of heroin or other drugs.
Personal Feelings!
Photographer Davide Sorrenti and Supermodel, Gia Carangi/ Fashion Industry Broadcast
As a woman who was born in 1997, I always questioned her weight & her arm fat and her thigh size which didn’t meet the standard set by society. But when this trend officially died with the death of the photographer ( Davide Sorrenti) that popularized the trend by photographing models that fueled this trend to the stratosphere, let this trend be buried in the ground where it belongs. Even the originator of this trend : Model American supermodel Gia Carangi died at the age of 20 from AIDS complications as she was shooting heroin into her veins to fulfill the fashion trend of the “ heroin chic “ aesthetic.
Famous People & Brands Popularizing the Trend
Kardashians,Hadid Sisters, & Kate Moss/NY Post
Actual people died as a result of this trend but people with no morals, ethics or basic commonsense like the Kardashians, Hadid sisters , Kate Moss and many fashion brands like Miu Miu are actively pushing this trend into the mainstream news cycle to it to penetrate it into our minds and they will mint money but the consequences will be dealt with the followers of this trend.
Actual Origin of the Trend
Claudia Schiffer, Elle Macpherson and Cindy Crawford/ Page Six
This trend “ Heroin chic” was partly a reaction against the “healthy” and vibrant look of leading 1980s models such as Cindy Crawford, Elle Macpherson, and Claudia Schiffer. So, you can see that an extreme reaction towards curvaceous models getting work spiraled into the dangerous trend of “ Heroin Chic “ that actively killed models & photographers but the advertisers keep the evil capitalist machine running and their pockets are lined with the blood-soaked money of the deaths were a result of this dangerous trend.
Reaction to the Popular Trend in the 90s
Sickly looking models in the 90s/Vogue
Even then President, Bill Clinton passed a statement that :
“ You do not need to glamourise addiction to sell clothes.”
“The glorification of heroin is not creative, it’s destructive. It’s not beautiful; it’s ugly. And this is not about art; it’s about life and death. And glorifying death is not good for any society.” — The Guardian
A 1996 article in the Los Angeles Times stated that the fashion industry had “a nihilistic vision of beauty” that was reflective of drug addiction.
Impact of Trend
We can’t go back to these harmful trends of the 90s and abandon our soul and body both physically and mentally to fulfil the harmful rhetoric spouted by the evil side of the fashion and beauty industry that is fueled by the $60 billion diet industry, largely due to the 80% failure rate of these diets that are shoved down the throats of people by the algorithms of popular social media platforms with huge user bases ( Facebook or Meta, Twitter , Instagram and TikTok).
Furthermore, this trend is insidious as it attacks the standard of beauty set by your favourite celebrity or influencer. It fans the flames of eating disorders that damage that the most common eating disorder causes like Anorexia which has among the highest death rates of all mental health disorders.
What Can You Do?
Jameela Jamil Paper Magazine Article
As a woman or a young girl or even to safeguard the women and young girls in your family from this harmful rhetoric, at times you feel may helpless but you are not. You can unfollow, report the vile promotion of this shit & reshare the messages of activists like Jameela Jamil who is a powerful voice on Instagram to amplify the harm that trends like “ Heroin Chic” pose to the public at large.
Moreover, you need to actively disparage this trend by actively questioning who does this benefit monetarily. Following the money, will often lead to the disguised monster of diet culture as the culprit spouting vile poison into your mind through the online medium.
My heart also breaks for those who experience drug addiction and suffer serious issues such as undernourishment, trauma and self-neglect which are often painted out to be fashion choices and their physical ramifications as body image aspirations.
No more heroin chic. Death to the trend. I want ‘healthy chic’, no matter what size it comes in.
Follow Nutritionists, certified physicians and doctors who will guide you in the right way to get healthy which will not harm your mental health but make you feel better about yourself. The young girl insecure about her looks has a pretty great life now with toned abs, arms & a slender figure by doing a shitload of housework, going for walks with my one year 7 months old goldador and yoga and kettlebells and no gym. As investing in your health is the right investment for actual long-term wellness rather than following trends that will attack your existence. Fuck all the celebrities & media outlets like the New York Post who amplify this shit ignoring the life-long ramifications that you will have to deal with as a result of their vile actions.
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If you or anyone you know are struggling with an eating disorder, you can get help. Call the National Eating Disorder Association helpline at (800) 931–2237 or visit nationaleatingdisorders.org.