MADRID  - Spain's top fashion show Pasarela Cibeles opened in Madrid Monday, featuring full-bodied models who have become accepted after sparking an initial controversy a year ago.

None of the 61 would-be models was eliminated in weight checks, contrary to 2006, when five were judged too thin.

Models participating in the Pasarela Cibeles must have a body mass index - calculated on a height-weight ratio - of at least 18, the limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for a person to be considered healthy.

A model measuring 1.75 metres, for instance, must thus weigh at least 56 kilos.

When the Pasarela Cibeles first adopted the rule in 2006, it prompted controversy, with some models regarding weight checks as humiliating and fashion designers worrying that slightly heavier models would affect the show's image.

Some of Spain's top fashion models, such as Veronica Blume and Argentine-born Martina Klein, still refuse to participate in the Pasarela Cibeles, because they do not want to be weighed, the daily El Pais reported.

On a general level, however, the fuller-bodied models have become totally accepted, organizers said. Madrid's example has also encouraged attempts to promote healthier beauty ideals in other fashion capitals, such as London and Milan.

"The result is positive. So say the administration and associations" representing victims of anorexia and other eating disorders, designer Modesto Lomba explained.

A collection by Jesus del Pozo launched the show featuring 37 designers. The Pasarela Cibeles will run through September 21. dpa st sc

[Copyright DPA with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news