Italian Fashion Watch

Designer brands Prada, Versace and Armani have agreed to ban skinny models from the catwalk.

The Italian label’s action was prompted by the death of two models and comes into force in Milan Fashion Week.

Madrid Fashion Week kick started the initiative which Milan and Paris initially resisted.

However it is believed that Camera Nazionelle della Moda Italiano, which represents the county’s top fashion brands, changed position and has agreed a January deadline in time for Milan Fashion Week 2007.

Italian youth minister Giovanna Melandri told the Metro: “The Camera della Moda will take action against designers who do not respect the manifesto.

They could be removed from the fashion calendar or, in the most serious cases, banned from the fashion week.”