Leading designers have defended themselves against accusations that they force excessively skinny models on to the pages of fashion magazines by supplying clothes for photoshoots that are too small for normal women.

The claims, made by Vogue’s editor, Alexandra Shulman, have been hailed as a “turning point” in the controversial “size zero” debate, which has cast a shadow over the catwalk industry since the deaths of three models from complications relating to malnutrition.

In a letter to major international fashion houses including Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, Prada and Versace, Shulman complained that sample sizes sent by designers are now so “minuscule” they force fashion editors to use models with “jutting bones” and “no breasts or hips”.

Designers yesterday insisted it was a “vicious cycle” that would require the whole industry to work together if it was to be broken.

“If tomorrow all magazines, model agencies and stylists used bigger girls, then the designers would too,” said designer Kinder Aggugini, who has worked at Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and Calvin Klein.

“I agree with Alex. Now all designers have to do a collection for the catwalk and then we have to take it back to the manufacturer and completely resize it because human beings are not giraffes like models. Most women would not be able to wear the catwalk clothes, the proportions would be wrong.”

He also agreed with Shulman’s assertion that sample clothes for shoots had become far smaller. “Up until the early 90s, it wasn’t like that; the catwalk collection was much bigger.”

But he added: “When I go through the agency books, the sizes of the girls are pretty consistent. The girls who work the most are of a consistent size - the same height, shape. When we make samples, we make samples to fit that consistent model size. The size zero is a trend that’s gone on too long, but it’s a vicious cycle.”

In her letter, Shulman wrote: “Nowadays, I often ask the photographers to retouch to make the models appear larger.”

The industry had reached the point where sample clothes did not comfortably fit established star models, she said.

“Look at the young scene girls. The Geldof girls, Alexa Chung. They are not the kind of thin that the girls we need to use are,” she told the Times. “Daisy Lowe is a good example. She wouldn’t fit into these samples.”

Valentine Fillol Cordier, a former catwalk model now working as a stylist, said: “I saw in the space of the 10 years that I modelled, my measurement didn’t change, but the clothes got smaller and I found it harder and harder to get into them.

“The measurements have changed - I’d say the perfect hip size now is 10cm less that it was in the 90s. All the girls have lost on the hips. I can’t work any more - I do not fit sample sizes, so I can’t work.”

Sarah Shotton, head designer for Agent Provocateur, said that while it wanted bigger girls, the model agencies sent “girls so thin we have to ask them to leave”.

“I actually think it has got worse since they started talking about skinny models a few years ago,” Shotton added.

But some designers had always made smaller samples, said Sarah Doukas, chief executive of Storm Management, which has Lily Cole, Jourdan Dunn and Kate Moss on its books.

“It is much less so with the high street designers,” Doukas said.

“The problem lies at the heart of the catwalk modelling industry which traditionally demands a girl of a very specific shape and proportion.

“Only about 10-12% of working models have the right look for this type of modelling, and of these 85% are either eastern European or Brazilian. Only a small percentage of them went on to have top-end catwalk careers.

“These girls concern me. The other 88% of models working have a thoroughly normal time without these kind of pressures. People both in the fashion industry and outside of the fashion industry have to have more realistic ideals.

“Nobody in this world is perfect. Who needs this kind of pressure?”

I pray that things get better in this industry and I say this as the daughter of a 13 year old girl that is heavily influenced by the media on a daily basis.