Anorexic Model Isabelle Caro Dies at 28

By The Editors of StyleList Posted Dec 30th 2010 12:30AM

French model and actress Isabelle Caro who became an international symbol for her struggle with anorexia has died at the age of 28.

Caro was featured naked in a shocking 2007 ad campaign to highlight the ailment, and brought Jessica Simpson to tears when she was interviewed in her television documentary series, 'The Price of Beauty.'

Although her death was only announced yesterday, her acting coach said that she actually passed away on Nov. 17 while working in Tokyo.

Her billboard campaign, which was shot by photographer Oliviero Toscani and endorsed by the Italian Ministry of Health, ran in Milan to coincide with that city's Fashion Week. According to the Daily Mail, at that time Caro was reported to have weighed just 68lbs even though she was 5ft 4in in height.

The controversial billboard was meant to raise awareness within the fashion industry about the eating disorder, but proved controversial with designers.

At the time, Giorgio Armani challenged the connection between anorexia and the fashion industry, saying, "even people who take no notice of fashion get anorexic."

Designers Dolce and Gabbana said that anorexia is a psychological ailment that has "nothing to do with fashion."

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Tags: isabella caro

Comments

(40)

Thursday 30 December

By Kate

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The poor thing, may she rest in peace after all that she struggled with.

I have to ask though, why was she 'working' and not in treatment? Why did her agents and managers continue to book work for her and exploit her instead of getting her well? She obviously knew she was sick-she'd accepted it, why didn't the people around her get her help instead of continuing to push her out like a meal ticket??

I've dug around a bit on her since reading of her death and I've read nothing to indicate that she got intensive help or treatment for her disease, which is clearly what she needed. Utterly tragic and unnecessary death of a young woman.

By baz

Only a fool could say that anorexia has nothing to do with fashion. It has everything to do with fashion

By Elizabeth

Many anorexics do not want treatment, and no one can be cured unless they are willing. It is a mental issue, as well as a physical one.

By Sammie

Her agents and managers only make money when she works... now while she's in therapy. They'd have been the last to suggest/demand she get help. I wonder why THIS billboard doesn't share the same spot as the rest of the fashion billboards?

By sandra martinez

People should ban Giorgio Armani and Dolce and Gabbana for their insensitivity and for their ignorance. These fashion designers with their high priced clothes create images in women's head as they stand in groceries stores. Some women will never be a size 0.They prey on women's insecurities through their advertisements without them knowing it or maybe they do know it and find it profitable.

By Nico Toscani

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The truth is, she probably cared little about the cause she was working for. She more likely only saw this as an opportunity to get on a billboard.

By Diamond

This is so sad. I hope that more people with anorexia get the psychological help they need before it's too late. May she RIP.

By vovo

this is so sad.

By coombehill

how can the fashion designers claim that fashion has nothing to do with anorexia? i agree that there are many people who suffer with the disease who are unrelated to modeling or fashion, these designers need to look at the women who are modeling their clothes in magazines and walking the runways. ask them what size their models have to be to walk to runway in their collections. ask them if a 5'10 size 8 model is considered fat, or why "plus size models" are size 12???

By Kitty

I worked at Vogue on the Reception desk. Day after day "would-be" models would arrive to see the Fashion editor for a fashion shoot. Then they would faint right in front of me at the desk as they would not have eaten in days. To say that fashion has nothing to do with anexoria is obsurb! The only thing in my desk beside pencils and paper were Smelling Salts to revive these starving young ladies. They knew they would photograph heavier than they were so they atarved themselves!!!!!!!!

By JM

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How many 5'4" models do you see walking the runway? None.
And Kitty, the word is absurd. Damn!!!

Tuesday 04 January

By Ambient

Yup. It makes as much sense as saying that Lung Cancer has nothing to do with Cigarettes, just because some people who get it do not smoke.

By jessina roland

Instead of taken pictures where was the help that she needed Modeling has a great big price tab it has to much pressure and the agency needs to be checked on there high price get together may she rest in peace and big time rich feed the hungry and stop starving the poor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Terry

I have always felt that deep down a large percentage of designers hate women and purposely want models to be thin because they are sadists. Clothes do not look beautiful on ultra thin women, they should get over it.

By Pat

Terry - Of course they are women haters. Who is in charge in the fashion industry? Enough said.

By corcoranjaq@aol.com

First of all , as for Dolce and Gabbana, What friggin idiots, of course it has to do with fashion... Do you make clothing for woman in sizes 10, 12 14 I don't think so..... You and the rest of the fashion industry has tried to control the soze of woman for decades, My mother was a victim as well neve gaining more that 25 lbs with each of her four pregnacies just so she could where her stylish clothes. and that was over 60 years ago. The fashion indusrty is not alone but it cetainly contributes to this decease. Being obese is not the answer and neither is having excessive body weight, but the fashion industry doesnot promote a "healthy Body" just a thin one. Yes Shame on the Fashion industry. Woman have struggled in business for years how sorry a betrayal it is when they too contribute to the unreal body images woman attempt to achieve, Models, Designers and Spokewomen, wake up it is just wrong. I like being a size 12 and 14 at 5'9" and it looks just fine.

My condolences to isabels family I wish it would stop too.

By linda

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may her soul rest in perfect peace. as a human being you shouldn't starve yourselve just to be in shape. enough flesh on your body is all you need. my condolence to her family. the fashion industry has to do something about it

By Cusic

If you read the article, it says the ad was in 2007. She died in 2010. She very well may have had treatment, was no longer in the throws of Anorexia, but had severe damage to her heart, kidneys and liver as a result of the past starvation. Years of abuse on a body doesn;t go away once someone begins to eat properly.

By Patricia

This is so heartbreaking! She looks like she was in a Nazi concentration camp. The fashion industry is full of fake and insecure wannabes.

By kelly

i am 5'4 and about 120 pounds, i went into a more upscale clothing store and the sizes of the dresses they keep out on the floor are 0,2,4....being a little busty i asked for a 6 (which they had to go in the back to get)..........i ended up walking out of there, and felt I had to lose weight immediately....if fashion does not set the scale for weight, i don't know what does......

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