'It’s problematic': concern as weight-loss jab maker sponsors Vogue World event

Critics say partnership between Mounjaro maker Eli Lilly and fashion giant suggests thinness is an aspiration

'It’s problematic': concern as weight-loss jab maker sponsors Vogue World event

TL;DR

  • Vogue World's fifth iteration, held in Milan, was sponsored by Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical company known for weight-loss drugs.
  • Critics, including eating disorder charities and academics, view this sponsorship as problematic, suggesting it promotes thinness as an aspiration and medical goal.
  • Experts express concern that the partnership normalizes prescription medication as part of an aspirational lifestyle, particularly for an audience already facing appearance pressures.
  • The fashion industry is facing criticism for a perceived return to promoting ultra-thinness, with a recent report indicating a lack of size inclusivity in major fashion shows.
  • Eli Lilly states their sponsorship is part of their 150th anniversary, focusing on health and aiming to shift the conversation about weight from aesthetics to health.
  • A Vogue-produced video with Eli Lilly compares pharmaceutical technologies to fashion manufacturing, linking health to creativity.