This memoir exposes the dark side of being a high-fashion model. Victoire was 17 when she was scouted in France and was fast-tracked to the catwalks, instead of going to college. It was exciting at first, but she had to lose weight to fit the clothes. The thinner she became, on a diet of apples and laxatives, the more in demand she was by the top designers. After a relatively short time, she quit and was hospitalised. This book exposes the poor treatment of models and it bravely names particular people in the industry. I did have a few issues with it. The writing style is very simplistic and repetitive; she often describes people as ‘adorable’, which I know is a French thing, but it sounds weird in English. I found the attitude of her family to be puzzling, as they pressure her to continue modelling even when she has doubts, while at the same time they pressure her to eat more. I think there were missed opportunities for commentary on why there is a size zero culture in the first place, and she mentions wearing fur but doesn’t engage with the ethics of it. I couldn’t care less about designer and luxury brands, so I was uninterested in her enthusiasm for these. I do think it’s worth reading and would be particularly helpful for aspiring models or people who want a career in fashion, to give an insight into the dark side of the modelling world.

Written with Valérie Péronnet, translated from French by Andy Bliss. Published by William Collins, 2017.