London - Her athletic figure has attracted the attention of Twitter trolls who sneered that she was “built like a man”.
But walking down the catwalk at the end of her fashion show in a low-cut jacket and daring fringed skirt, Serena Williams showed you don’t need to be a size zero to look fabulous.
However, when it came to the models she used to showcase her clothing range, the 33-year-old tennis star seemed to be giving out a different message.
She is under fire for using women with “stick thin” figures in her show at New York Fashion Week, with some critics accusing her of double standards. While fashion experts including Vogue’s contributing editor, Andre Leon Talley, praised the “smash-hit” collection, Miss Williams’s fans – who regard her as a poster girl for fuller-figured women – were not so complimentary.
Attacking the Wimbledon champion for not using plus-size models, one said: “Is anyone criticising her for sending stick thin models down the runway? No? Talk about double standards.”
Another described Miss Williams’s own appearance as a “combination of feminine awesomeness”, before expressing dismay that “she too has chosen to use stick-thin models who are no reflection of the variety of true body shapes in society”.
Miss Williams’s runway show, which saw her cheered on by rumoured boyfriend rapper Drake and Vogue editor Anna Wintour, comes just weeks after she faced a barrage of abuse about her striking physique on social media.
However fans – including Harry Potter author JK Rowling – jumped to her defence after one Twitter troll said the player was “built like a man”. Miss Rowling responded on Twitter, saying: “You’re an idiot.”
Miss Williams is not the only designer to face criticism for using ultra-thin models.
Earlier this week Victoria Beckham faced a backlash for using very thin models – despite saying in 2010 that she took her role seriously and “wouldn’t want to use very skinny girls”.
Eating disorder charity Beat warned her models could become “thinspiration” for young women suffering from eating problems.
Spokesperson Lorna Garner said: “We know that some young women suffering from eating disorders take these types of photos and put them inside their wardrobe doors, using them as a goal to work towards.”
Daily Mail