Beth Ditto is one strong woman. Last week British GQ's features editor Alex Blimes branded the Gossip singer as a 'fat lesbian' and nothing more than a 'porker'. If that was not bad enough, Blimes seemed to be confused as to why the fashion industry has become so transfixed with the star. As The Cut put it, he claims that 'waif-thin' fashion editors need someone to visually offset the usual beanpoles promoted by the industry and are, in fact, 'stupid' for liking her.

The only good thing to come from these disgraceful comments is that it has got people talking about the issue again. Today, Beth Ditto spoke to The Times about her views and experiences in the fashion industry.

On attending Paris Fashion Week last season: I know that one year Karl Lagerfeld was refusing to make clothes for women of a certain size, and the next year he was asking me to play the Fendi party. What a contradiction they are! But they're probably just as big victims of not being able to see beyond the ends of their noses as all the people complaining about it. You have to get in there, shake it up.

What do you think?

On attending fashion events: 'I'm the only one there who looks like me. Everyone else just looks the same, so think about the joy of that.' In fact, she reckons fashion is less snobby than the music industry. 'If you think fashion is snobby, go hang out with some punks. They are beyond elitist!'