Culture
As GLP-1 drugs reshape bodies off the runway, fashion's 'fattest models' are once again the thinnest in the room. A look at how Ozempic culture is quietly resetting sample sizes, sizing inclusivity, and the industry's relationship with the body
Updated 06:22 pm EDT, August 13, 2026
Published 04:18 pm EDT, August 13, 2026
Photo Credits
Fashion Designer: Mena Lombard
Hair & Make-Up: Carolina Lasantita
Fashion Stylists: Amanda Perna, Carlos Marrero
Model: Alleya Seaver
Photographer: Flávio Iryoda
As GLP-1 drugs reshape bodies off the runway, fashion's 'fattest models' are once again the thinnest in the room. A look at how Ozempic culture is quietly resetting sample sizes, sizing inclusivity, and the industry's relationship with the body
Updated 06:22 pm EDT, August 13, 2026
Published 04:18 pm EDT, August 13, 2026
Photo Credits
Fashion Designer: Mena Lombard
Hair & Make-Up: Carolina Lasantita
Fashion Stylists: Amanda Perna, Carlos Marrero
Model: Alleya Seaver
Photographer: Flávio Iryoda
The preening spectators were twittering in the gorgeous, dimly lit Fondazione Prada, a startling mix of old industrial buildings and bold contemporary architecture, arranged around a large courtyard and including a former 1910 gin distillery, warehouses, and brewing silos. Then the music started, and out came the models, prancing in what can only be described as controlled chaos. And there in the midst of all the glamor and hype was the “fattest model”.
The “fattest model”, who was the one person who represented the rest of us in all of their calorific glory. The beautiful young lady was 6 feet tall and topped the scales at a ginormous 100 pounds. The men appeared even taller and thinner than the women. Which frankly scared the fuck out of me since I just lost a significant amount of weight and my forearm was still the size of one of the model’s sinewy thighs. One could only guess what the new base-model sizes are for the fashion houses this season, since measurements for these models are tightly guarded secrets to prevent medical experts from fainting in extremis.
I had a painful flashback to the days of Kate Moss when teenage models appeared on the runway with smudges of heroin delicately arranged around their fingertips. To the fashion industry’s credit, that sort of nonsense is no longer appropriate. But, Sweet Virgin Mary and the blessed saints of the Tiberius, the ladies and gentlemen of the runway this season were extremely “ultra slim”, which is the new bandied-about term.
Fine, the “fattest models” in the European and American runways were once again back to stick-thin figures. This in no way represents the clientele ready to purchase the glorious new “Vetements” of the season. Or perhaps I am wrong? Maybe the “fattest models” in Europe were more aligned with the audience than we suspect.
There is an amusing interrelationship between fashion audiences and models. Most people agree that the yearning, sighing purchasers of these garments would sacrifice their oldest handmaidens and cleaning personnel to be as thin as the models on the runway. Yet with new medical advancements, it very well may be that the audience is now leading the fashion industry in sizing and fit.
No one can deny that GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy have dramatically changed the looks and lives of those rich enough to afford them. Reviewing the industry shows a clear trend that the “fattest model” on the runway is once again reverting to teensy-weensy sizes. The glamorization of thinness is back, and with the new drugs helping the general public stay thin? The plus-models are once again left out to pasture. Of course, there are still designers who strive to be more inclusive and proud that their work can dress the wide span of people in existence. But they are definitely in the minority now.
As consumers shrink in physical size, we can see secondary effects on the fashion industry. Larger sizes are flooding the resale market, smaller sizes are selling out faster, and luxury brands are removing extended sizing.
For example, the BMJ Group, a global healthcare knowledge provider, published a study showing a 700% increase in U.S. patients without diabetes starting GLP‑1 drugs between 2019 and 2023. Holy “trans fats”, Batman! That is an eye-popping statistic, and it is backed by CDC data indicating that 1 in 100 people used these drugs in 2024/2025. Which, at first glance, may not seem like much in base numbers, but remember the percentages are leaping and frogging up and up. Polls, which admittedly can fluctuate, nonetheless hint that 12% of the USA are using these GLP-1 drugs in the past two years.
Changes in consumer sizes and shapes directly affect the fashion industry. After all, we agree that fashion is a business and profit is paramount. In fact, the magazine “Marie Claire noted that, as of 2025. “High‑end fashion houses offering extended sizing continue to be even fewer still.” Size inclusivity is no longer a priority despite earlier progress. I recall that when visiting the beaches of Brazil, one could gaze at women skipping in the surf in micro-bikinis, without a hint of shame about not being runway-thin. So what? The joy of living and being in the sun was the goal, not the desire to stab an innocent bystander with your clavicle. But we are regressing, and so has the fashion industry.
So why does this matter? Apologies, but I thought that, as a society, we had turned a corner and agreed that being comfortable in your own body was wonderful and that having a slight pudge was not the end of the earth. We agreed that fat-shaming and the vision of petite sneering women eyerolling at an average body was verboten, didn’t we? Well, with medical advancements and access to these drugs widening, I suspect those lofty ideals will be thrown out the window with boyfriend jeans and muumuus.
From a fashion and business perspective, having the “fattest model” also be the thinnest has consequences for all of us. In the November 2025 release of McKinsey Consulting’s “State of Fashion” outlook, global fashion growth is shown to be slowing, with consumers increasingly value‑driven and selective. When brands limit their size range, they deliberately exit major growth markets at the worst possible time for the economy. We should recall that 70%+ of American women wear size 14 or larger.
Of course, les grandes maisons of Paris and Milan could not possibly care whether these women are served or attended. Yet if you recall the prescient speech of the fictional character Miranda Priestly in the movie “The Devil Wears Prada.” She sneered but was extremely on target when she stated, “In 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns… then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers… filtered down through department stores… and trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you… fished it out of some clearance bin… that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs.” Although this quote is from a book and film, it absolutely, if scathingly, represents reality. The fear is that as fashion houses create ultra-slim silhouettes, other stores and brands down the fashion line will mimic them. Thus reducing the variety of clothes and preventing gorgeous but average and plus-sized women from being fashionable. That is horrible. We have enough tragedy and stress in our post-COVID world of hate and suspicion. Why must the few things that give us pleasure, such as fashion, be once again placed out of most of our reach?
The dark interrelationship between GLP-1 drugs and fashion is only just starting, and the long-term impacts can only be hypothesized. There is a great risk of societal sizeism and worsening eating disorders. The Fashion industry already promotes narrow aesthetic ideals, and enabling medically induced thinness will likely intensify these pressures. No one wants to return to the days of our obsessions with weight loss and anxiety around food. It was a boring, uncomfortable situation back in the ’90s, and it remains so.
On another note, long‑term side effects of GLP‑1 drugs, such as pancreatitis, thyroid concerns, kidney issues, and nutrient deficiencies, are not remotely understood. Today, the focus is on celebrating shortcuts and using these medications as cosmetic tools rather than medical interventions.
Individuals using GLP‑1 drugs have reported dealing with judgments about their bodies, food choices, or how they pay for medications. In fashion and beauty contexts, these pressures can amplify shame cycles and public scrutiny of weight, especially for influencers, models, or consumers who are highly visible.
But let’s be honest. People adore a short path to the image they hold in their minds. The fashion industry is complicit in reinforcing these almost impossible body standards, but let us not blame the houses. They simply reflect society’s desires. It was just after 2021 that we started to see actors and actresses suddenly, definitively slimmer. Almost as if my magic, then the holy word of “Ozempic” was introduced, and since then, the anxiety for these drugs has only increased in the general public. AVESSA has already discussed Fast Fashion in previous articles, both the positives and the negatives. Still, in this case, fast fashion will only enable consumers with more moderate incomes to displace and change their clothes based on their quickly shrinking bodies. We will continue on this path, and at least for me, there is no endpoint held in sight.
Humanity is amusing; occasionally we strive for meaningful greatness, then quickly scramble in the rich brown mud to be the prettiest, the best, the most desired. I am not immune to this. I would be a liar if I said I was. As a society, when we look at the “fattest model” on the runway? We need to think carefully about the health and mental issues that can arise from our desire to be just like that model. In the meantime, GLP-1 pills are being offered instead of injections, and more effective medications are on the horizon. Anyone know where I can get a fix?
Recovering from an obsession with Italian-designed menswear, Alfonso decided to take a deeper look into women’s fashion to see how our relationship among clothing, society, and business has changed. Educated as an economist with an MBA, he travels between Chicago, Miami, and Mexico on a search to see what happens next to fashion.
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