The idea that Dame Helen Mirren should weigh into the 'size zero' debate may come as a surprise to many. But her comments could not be better timed, coming as they do as the final week of the international fashion shows begins in Paris.
During the last three weeks, the designer collections for Spring/Summer 2008 have been unveiled in New York, London and Milan and the fashion industry - ludicrously image-conscious at the best of times - has bathed in its annual frenzy of its self-obsession.
But while Dame Helen accuses the industry of turning "a blind eye" to the problem of "horrifically thin" models, she is slightly wide of the mark, for - in the current climate - there is little chance of that. The world of fashion is all too well aware that all other eyes are upon it, waiting for it to trip up. And not, this season, because of a particularly tricksy pair of shoes.
For, while Dame Helen may be fired up by the salutary personal experience of taking her own niece along to a model agency, other accusatory fingers started pointing at models and the people who employ and promote them a year ago. And with good reason.
The deaths of not one but two international models suffering from chronic eating disorders highlighted a problem of professionally underweight women which caused a global furore, with calls for a ban on models with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.
As a result, the 'size zero' issue remains one of the central themes, whether fashionistas like it or not, of the revolving fashion show world.
Although the Model Health Inquiry, set up six months ago by the British Fashion Council did not recommend this move when it reported two weeks ago, it's something that has already been taken up in the fashion capitals of Milan and Madrid. How effective this will prove, however, remains to be seen.
Will a woman with a BMI of 19 look visibly more meaty than one measuring 17.9? Certainly there seemed no noticeable difference between models at last week's Milan shows and the previous week's London shows. To Dame Helen Mirren and your average size-14 British woman, they would all be considered "incredibly skinny."
But the subject is a complex one and the current pressure on women to be thin goes beyond the boundaries of the fashion industry, the catwalks and the glossy magazines.
The intervention of Dame Helen is timely. Especially coming from a beautiful woman celebrity, whose power over the opposite sex is well noted, it helps draw attention to a serious problem.
It is ironic, however, that Dame Helen does not apply the same dismay to the pressure on women to remain youthful. If it gets to a point where the ageing process is "really depressing" her, she is willing to admit, she'll go under the knife.
Fashions change every six months but it might take a little longer to change current perceptions of female beauty.
