Storm Agency Founder on Bone Structure, Anorexia, and Racism

Since Sarah Doukas founded modeling agency Storm, in London, she’s launched the careers of Kate Moss, Sophie Dahl, and Jourdan Dunn, the first black model to walk Prada since Naomi Campbell in 1991. Why’d she sign ‘em? While everyone and their Chihuahua was busy obsessing over hip circumference, Doukas was looking for cheek bones. Who knew bone structure still counted? She tells the Guardian:

You need the cheekbones, you need the jaw-line. You can look at someone who is gorgeous but perhaps has quite a round face, without the definition that you need for a camera and light to turn it into this fantastic canvas.

Back everyone’s favorite topic — hips that do lie — she dodged the question of whether the fashion industry contributes to anorexia:

There is no doubt that in the past few years the girls at the top end have become thinner. You’d have to be a fool not to notice it. I was on the model health inquiry, and it’s clear that we need to educate people. I know from being in the business that it has filtered through and things are changing slowly. But the girls on the catwalks are racehorses. They are much taller; they are 5ft 10½in, minimum.

She also dodged the question of whether the industry was racist, but noted very few clients request black models, which is why runways are so whitewashed. Now if only she could explain why Naomi Campbell is so angry.

Question time [Guardian]