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"It sounds like the simplest job description in the world, given that you&amp;#x27;ve sprung from an unnaturally gifted gene pool: Look pretty. But given the events that unfolded at Friday&amp;#x27;s Alexander McQueen runway show, it looks like being a modern-day mannequin has become a much more physically demanding endeavor. Find out why, after the jump. Fashionologie is reporting that the young model Abbey Lee fainted on the runway at McQueen, just a few steps from her exit off the runway. Apparently the combination of an incredibly constricting corset (see above) and staggeringly steep heels went straight to her head, and she collapsed to the ground, with two production crew members helping her backstage. This season has not been terribly kind to Ms. Lee--she was among the many models who logged serious falls on the runway--and it&amp;#x27;s making me wonder whether we&amp;#x27;re asking too much of these young girls. Some of them are 16 and 17 years old, working from 5 o&amp;#x27;clock in the morning and then partying into the wee hours, and possibly not meeting the proper nutritional requirements so they can stay slim enough to keep their jobs. A few seasons ago, Viktor &amp;amp; Rolf had models walking with steel structures attached to their backs and shoulders, rigged up with a personal lighting and sound system, all balanced, of course, on superhigh stilettos, and I gasped every time I saw the photos. I love the thought of pushing fashion&amp;#x27;s boundaries and stretching our idea of what a silhouette or a theme or an artistic thought can accomplish, but not at the risk of young girls&amp;#x27; safety. What&amp;#x27;s next, an Armani show on a highwire above a pool of hungry alligators? Versace&amp;#x27;s new fire-breathing evening gowns? For Abbey Lee&amp;#x27;s sake, I certainly hope not. What do you guys think? Is the fashion industry demanding too much of its models? Photo: Getty Images"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/dressed/2008/10/is-fashion-becoming-too-tough>