The Gossip's frontlady Beth Ditto has had a go at fashion retailer TopShop over its failure to stock large sized clothes for people like her, and turned down an offer from the high street store to perform a series of instore gigs at the chain.
Kate Moss, FYI, has signed a multi-million quid deal to design a range for Topshop, launching 1 May. In response to which Ditto says: "Give me the job. I want to design, I want you to make clothes for big girls, big boys, I want you to make big sizes. I don't want just your money or the cred of hanging out with Kate Moss, which is fine, but it's not want I want in life. I want more. I want what she gets."
She continues: "I don't think it's fair to put my face somewhere where they would never let me in there to wear their clothes. If they want our music they've got to actually do something to earn it. I can get money anywhere, I don't need your money unless you're going to do it my way. They don't want to dress people that look like me, that have a normal body, a bigger body, whatever. I mean I don't really know why they want The Gossip to do things for them, I don't understand because if they saw me in the street they'd never give me the time of day."
I think that Topshop might argue that although they have nothing against larger ladies, stocking large sizes just isn't cost-effective. At least, that's essentially what pretty much every shoe retailer in the land has basically told me when I asked them why they didn't make nice shoes in my size. Bastards.