One dress by BCBG has garnered lots of reader response, not for the dress but the woman wearing them. While a few comments are an attack on the model, most focus on Revolve’s decision to use Crandall in the first place. {Styleite}

“This model makes me question the entire company itself. she looks like she’s dying. and from a solely business (not to mention ethical) stand point – she makes the clothes look awful,” one commenter writes.

Naturally thin people exist – Ann Ward, winner of the most recent “high fashion!” America’s Next Top Model, for example is very tall, very thin and eats bacon sandwiches, fried Oreos and other things that you’re likely to see on This Is Why You’re Fat, but has a high metabolism and remains very thin. Her outward appearance isn’t a correlation to healthy or unhealthy eating, it’s just the way she’s built. Annamaria Mirdita, another contestant, was sent home by the judges because they felt her restricted calorie diet was too close to disordered eating to achieve a body type that was not natural for her.

That’s the call that Revolve should have made before booking Crandall in the first place. They responded in the comments with their own statement:

“REVOLVE Team, Los Angeles, CA (Straight/Short)
Hi everyone,Thank you for your concern. We are absolutely aware of the feedback and responses to our modelâ€s weight and it has concerned us as well. We are working closely with both the model and her agent to get her to a healthier size. She wonâ€t be appearing in any of our new product batches or in any of our fashion editorial photos moving forward until the issue is adequately addressed.We appreciate and respect input from our customers and visitors and hope that you find our responses satisfying. We have been attempting to respect the privacy of the model in question while dealing with the issue on our end. We hope you understand.Sincerely,The REVOLVE Team”

Come on – there are young women who are slim and lanky while still (possibly) healthy, but this obviously isn’t it. We find it hard to believe in the sincere concern since, oh, none of this came up until customers started commenting. In one photo where she appears in a gray dress, there are sunken hollows under her eyes (not just bags, which might be from a lack of sleep). In others, the muscles in her forearm appear to be separating from the tissue (muscle atrophy can be a symptom of anorexia), and beyond that, she’s so thin that she doesn’t fit the clothes in certain shots.

There are true medical conditions (other than anorexia/bulimia) where people can’t keep weight on. The Telegraph highlighted one woman who eats 5,000-8,000 calories a day to stay healthy, because of a condition that prevents her from gaining weight and keeps her gaunt. However the type of condition that would give someone the type of emaciated appearance Crandall has outside of an eating disorder, starvation or serious illness, are extremely rare.

Americaâ€s Next Top Model

Among the things she said were that Karl Lagerfeldâ€s acceptance of plus-size models as the photographer for the plus issue of V is phony because he previously denounced full-figured women as irrelevant to fashion, and that plus-size models are not truly becoming a part of fashion just because a few select girls have been able to land a limited number of magazine covers and runway slots.

Fair enough, Whitney. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a plus-size model – or anyone for that matter – calling out fashion leaders for using full-figured girls as a spectacle and declaring plus-size is in when size 0 is still the norm.

Hereâ€s what weâ€re more concerned about. Check out this line she fed The Huffington Post:

“It’s infuriating because we have to be excited, we have to be thrilled that there’s one issue that has girls who eat.”

Not okay, Whitney. We understand that anorexia is a serious issue among many models and that poor health and body image among models is something of concern in the industry. That does not mean that every straight-size model does not eat. Some women are naturally very thin. They do not starve themselves or exercise obsessively or regurgitate everything they eat. That is just how their bodies are naturally formed, and it is beautiful and every bit as real as curves.

Standing up for equal treatment and inclusion for girls who are above a size 2 in the fashion industry is perfectly fine, but there is no need to put down women with those size 0-2 body types while you are doing it.

A fairly recent blog post over at the gloss could not have put this more perfectly. Check it out here. And think twice before declaring another woman unreal or unhealthy based on her body type, no matter what it is.

Tyra's newest crop of "high fashion" models

This week, fashion will see debut after debut with the unveiling of designers†Spring 2011 (how is it almost 2011 already?) collections. Editors are spewing live streams from shows and events like mad as we speak, so to avoid fashion week runway show overload, we decided to give you a break and talk about a different debut that also took place this fashion week.

Wednesday night was the premiere episode of the 15^th cycle of Americaâ€s Next Top Model, and the first look at a season that creator and host Tyra Banks promises will really launch the show into high fashion. For real this time.

Tyra reminded the audience numerous times throughout the episode that this seasonâ€s winner would truly be a high fashion star. It seemed like she thought if she said it over and over again we might actually believe it before we see it.

Past winners of ATNM have gone on to be virtually nonexistent in the fashion biz, so weâ€re going to need to wait for the proof before we are convinced that the 15^th winner will be the next Lara Stone.

Besides Tyraâ€s constant reminders that this season is all about high fashion and Italian Vogue, last nightâ€s episode consisted of basically the same old same old. The show always seems to end up with certain “characters” among the top contestants that appear every cycle and this one proves to be no different. Thereâ€s the struggling single mom hoping to fulfill her dreams and make a better life for her baby, the introverted outcast girl whoâ€s awkwardness works for fashion up to a point but will likely end up being her undoing, the girl who didnâ€t make it last season and the Ivy league princess who will end up being just too darn smart to be a model.

We do however have to say that this season looks to have more potential than any before to produce a successful winner. Besides offering a contract with IMG and a spread in Italian Vogue to the winner this cycle, the premier episode featured an appearance from designer Cynthia Rowley, and Tyra and co. will be bringing in such fashion legends as Patrick Demarchelier and Diane von Furstenberg to work with the contestants. Add to that Andre Leon Talleyâ€s continued presence on the judging panel and Ms. Banks could finally be looking at a Bankable top model winner.

Here, however, is the biggest challenge for Tyra this cycle: ANTM wants to produce a high fashion model, and the CW wants the show to be popular and bring in ratings. The popular masses tend not to really, completely understand high fashion modeling. In fact, in order to mold a fashion superstar while remaining relevant in television, Tyra would need the winner to be a model like Gisele Bundchen, Cindy Crawford or Heidi Klum – those that were well known outside the fashion industry last decade.

These days, models are not big celebrities like they once were. A video exists on YouTube in which an interviewer stops random people on the streets and asks them who Karlie Kloss is. Most have no idea, and Karlie is one of the top models in the industry right now.

The single ray of hope in this situation is the success of Bravo’s Project Runway, which has remained popular while focusing on fashion design.

So, Tyty, your 15^th cycle has potential to finally bring the show some credibility in the world of fashion. The question is whether you can also maintain appeal with your television audience.

It was officially announced yesterday that Tyra has signed an endorsement deal with IMG to guide her company in the right direction. The deal will give Banks commercial endorsements and fashion related opportunities.

“IMG is proud to work with Tyra, one of the worldâ€s most iconic supermodels and media personalities, and it is our pleasure to welcome her back.” said Ivan Bart, SVP and Managing Director of IMG Models Worldwide. “She has an immense and loyal following, and we are thrilled with the opportunity to partner with her as she embarks on a new and exciting period of brand-building. IMG will help expand her relationships with companies through endorsements, and will assist her in developing business relationships with sponsors whose missions she feels strongly about.”

In case you’re wondering why this is such a big deal, IMG is the agency of record for other star enterprising models like Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum and Kate Moss in New York. IMG Models is a division of the same company that produces New York Fashion Week, and many other fashion weeks and events around the world. Tyra is very positive about the transition, hoping to “align herself with the brands she believes in, and help all involved gain success and grow their businesses.” {Talking Makeup} The model (TV host at the time) who told critics to “kiss my fat ass” wouldn’t be the first supermodel to make a comeback (Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and many older 90s models have been seen on runways and in ad campaigns). With the growing popularity of body types that are more Coke bottle curvy than waif straight, it seems that Tyra’s timing is pretty good.

This also comes on the heels of a recently announced book series called Modelland, which from descriptions sounds a bit like Harry Potter with prettier people.

“Drawing from an area of expertise she is avidly passionate about, Tyraâ€s MODELLAND is the story of a teen girl in a make-believe society who finds herself competing for a way of life that’s both hotly desired and woefully out of reach at an academy for Intoxibellas, the most exceptional models known to humankind. As the plot unfolds, readers will uncover lessons that are buried beneath the surface of this magical world.” {the Cut}

If Andre Leon Talley’s appearances on America’s Next Top Model are anything to go on, don’t expect any run of the mill wizard capes like at Hogwarts. In Modelland, we’re pretty sure they’d all be designer. We aren’t sure if Modelland will bring Tyra JK Rowling-like publishing success, but we can’t blame her for trying.

When she announced the end of the Tyra show, Tyra promised more projects to come, so the moves should come as no surprise.  is such a strong and empowering female force to be reckoned with-or should we say fierce to be reckoned with. When she “retired” from the runway in 2005, we thought her various TV projects would keep her away, but it seems like the allure of fashionable old habits was too difficult to resist. If there’s a pattern to her retirements though, perhaps it means the Tyra show won’t be gone forever.