Julia Schneider, Elite Model Contest Winner, Raises Controversy Over Her Figure (PHOTOS)

The Elite Model Contest is one of the world' most prestigious modeling competitions.

Held in Shanghai this year, the competition drew famous performers (Kylie Minogue) and girls from around the world competing for the big honor in the modeling biz.

But this year's winner, a 15-year-old from Sweden, Julia Schneider, is raising questions due to her waif-like frame.

One blog called her "skeletal" and "an extremely gaunt and frail looking girl."

Further, the Montreal Gazette's Lens blog questions the modeling world's gender double standard:

Sweden's Julia Schneider looks more like a "model" of anorexia than anything stylish that the fashion industry should be putting on a pedestal as a standard for emulation ... Skeletons are meant jump out of closets not on to fashion runways. Why are only male models generally allowed to have an adult's body shape?

The photographer -- intentionally or not -- captures this contrast with the background of the other, slightly healthier looking, models.

Healthier? Really? We kind of think they all have that waif-like model look.

We say: ease off. Julia's 15 and still growing. Yes, she's thin, but (sadly?) the modeling industry has historically praised models who are on the reedier side. That's the larger issue that should continue to be confronted, so we don't unnecessarily vilify one teen girl for a grander problem.

Check out our gallery of Julia's crowning moment below.

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Comments

[Travis Armstrong]

06:05 AM on 12/22/2011

If she wants to be that thin and live that life, then who are any of us to judge her. We should all be able to live how we choose to. That is true freedom, something we only really have in the U.S.A., embrace it while it lasts.

[billhedman]

01:53 PM on 12/17/2011

Not the best photo, beautiful girl. Julia deserved the win. Well done.
Regards, Bill Hedman. Director, Elite Model Look, Singapore.

[Cassandra L Chapa]

10:06 AM on 12/12/2011

I think they all look terribly thin, but the fact that she's so pale makes her look more un-healthy. But do I know her? No. Have I seen any medical evidence that her wieght is causing problems to her health? No. At 15 both my sister and I were in size 0 and 00 pants at 5'7'' and 5'9''. We were always told we were too thin and that we needed to eat more ect. We just had young metabolisms. Mine changed after having 2 kids and my sister is just now starting to fill out at age 21. It could be that this 15 year old girl (and many of these other young models) are just lucky to have those young, fast metabolisms.

[Prisellu]

08:25 PM on 12/11/2011

You all should watch the documentary Girl Model-The Movie. It shows "real" issues within the modeling industry.

[Marturia]

08:01 PM on 12/11/2011

"Eat everything on your plate......there are starving children in the modeling industry."

[All Heart]

02:14 PM on 12/11/2011

That group photo is the scarriest thing I've seen in a while. Are we really pushing young women into self destruction with this ridiculous race? Time for some common sense intervention here.

[ilovemountains]

10:16 AM on 12/11/2011

I don't believe ths little girl will live to be thirty years old. If she is not anorexic now (doubtful) I think she very well may try to remain this way even as her body continues to mature. I was one of those thin teenagers but this is ridicululus. I ate Wendy's a lot and still remained a size 3, about 100 lbs until I was 22. But the only time I looked like this was when I was 11 and in hospital for stomach surgery and couldn't eat for 10 days and very little after that. This is what death's door looks like.

[daigz]

09:42 PM on 12/10/2011

Maybe Angelina Jolie will make the modeling world her next cause of concern..

"If they can't eat, I can't eat"

[madymag]

08:26 PM on 12/10/2011

Yes, Julia Schneider, the winner of the Elite model contest is thin—as is required in the modeling business. However, Julia won because she is more than merely thin—in every way, albeit animation—she looks like a—MANNEGUIN!

[Lightwins]

02:26 PM on 12/10/2011

NO WAY that is her natural weight! She almost certainly is anorexic--or close to it. It's very unfortunate that she was chosen as the winner. This will encourage anorexic tendencies in many teen girls everywhere.

[nicks03gls]

03:31 AM on 12/13/2011

I agree 100%. Young Women are already under a lot of pressure to be that "perfect" girl/woman. It's ridiculous how today's society is basically requiring young women to be "skinny" and "voluptuous". Young Women at this age should not be so concerned about their looks as much as they should be about their education. Take it from the guy who, in high school, dated the head cheerleader and played football... yadda yadda yadda... None of that means a thing after you graduate!!! NO ONE CARES!!!
Point is... If you want to be a model.... wait until you 'fill out' or grow up. Enjoy your youth!! Finish High school, and slow down. The money is tempting, but loosing who you are in the process.... is devastating!

[edejan]

01:30 PM on 12/10/2011

This girl looks ghastly skinny. So she's the standard of "beauty" in this contest. The problem is that other 15 year old girls who try to look like her will not eat a healthy diet. At that age, a poor diet can undermine one's health for their entire lifetime.

[Portann]

04:08 AM on 12/10/2011

What is acceptable for a model's body depends on the type of modeling they are doing, print vs. video/commercial, vs. runway. Lingerie models and swimsuit models are more cuvry and volumptuous. Runway models have to have body's where the clothes look like they are on a hanger. Designers don't want body curves competing with the lines of their clothing while on the runway. When a model walks the runway, the majority of the audience will see her/his profile, not head on. Designers want a lean sillouette for the profile of their clothes being modeled. The sad part is the industry will prioritize the look of the clothing as a opposed to the person in the clothing.

[jadorniere]

07:57 AM on 12/10/2011

This is true. High fashion designers 'require' a certain look. The models will not only be featured on the runway featuring their lines, but also represent various ad campaigns and promotions. I can look at these photos and see that Julia stands out from alot of them. And not because of her physique. She has a most glamorous face, especially for her youth. It is a top notch fashion model look. Some of the other girls are beautiful, but have a different beauty. Beauty that is measured by other standards. Julia posseses the stand apart glamour.
Thin? Very. But this is the norm and preference by the fashion industry. Tall (preferably 5'7 and up), weight anywhere from 95-125 lbs. That's tiny even for a 5'7" girl. I was informed hips should stay around 34". The sizes all this refers to is 0-6. The average being 4. Designer's fitting model forms size has went down over the years. Used to be about a 6-8. (US and EU). Now it is a 4-6. The prefered weight is below normal standard weight, simply to accomodate the demand for those small measurements.
Yes, she does look emanciated and gaunt, but is quite the norm in the fasion world. The goal is to represent the designs in the most flattering way, and that is will tall, straight lines (not curves), lean proportions (no measurements overcompensating others..bust-waist-hip ratio), and flawless, sleek strides in movement.

[szlevi]

04:20 AM on 12/22/2011

Ahh, the good-ol' industry BS... do you people really believe in this utter BS?

It's all patently false, typically spread by these parasites aka agencies who were hooked on these anorexic anti-females long time ago and they think maintaining the "elite" (ROFL :D) aura helps them to survive the commercialization and globalization of everything...

...guess what, it won't. And it's fine, nobody will miss these 'high-fashion' (hilarious) agencies, they are nothing more than parasites anyway.

[bellabela]

05:27 PM on 03/19/2012

and what about women in the real world???

[MrsSherlockHolmes]

10:05 PM on 12/09/2011

This is truly frightening; this poor girl looks ready to break at any moment. Why must the modeling world be in either one extreme or the other, either plus size or anorexic? I think that plus size is healthier as long as the women keep in shape; yet, I cannot understand why normal size women are not put on a pedestal. A size six or eight in the fashion world is still skinny, but not bone thin. These are women with curves, women who can show girls that they can embrace the figure they have without trying to starve themselves.

[mose joseph workman]

09:32 PM on 12/09/2011

i've seen better fed children starving in biafra

[tesserae]

07:24 PM on 12/09/2011

Some girls are extremely thin at that age without dieting. I was one of them. At 15 I would fix a huge bowl of home made french fries and eat them in front of late night TV. Could eat all I wanted, it didn't make a difference. That lasted well into my thirties. Not all skinny people have eating disorders.