Madeline Argy Defends Her Paris Fashion Week Outfit Following Criticism, Says Look Was Inspired by Mom with Rare Disability
Madeline Argy Defends Her Paris Fashion Week Outfit Following Criticism, Says Look Was Inspired by Mom with Rare Disability
Zoey LyttleThu, March 12, 2026 at 5:27 PM UTC
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Madeline Argy at the Givenchy Paris Fashion Week show on March 6, 2026.Credit: Marc Piasecki/WireImage (2) -
Madeline Argy posted a TikTok responding to those who criticized her recent Paris Fashion Week outfit, which many comments said made her arms appear disproportionately short
The British content creator, 25, said that she was actually happy about the shirt's effect, as she thought it made her resemble her mother, Mikey Argy, who was born with foreshortened arms
Mikey's disability is a birth defect caused by thalidomide, a since-withdrawn drug her mother was prescribed to treat her morning sickness while pregnant
Madeline Argy is opening up about why recent criticism of her fashion choices struck a nerve.
On March 6, the British influencer, 25, stepped out for Givenchy's Paris Fashion Week show wearing a collared shirt with mid-length, loose-fitting sleeves. She paired the top with black shorts to match her shoes and socks; however, some social media users fixated on the top and made comments about how her arms looked disproportionately short.
After seeing the response to her outfit, she took to TikTok to share how her initial reaction to the look was influenced by her mother, Mikey Argy, who is a "disabled woman," as Madeline explained in her video shared on March 7.
Madeline Argy at the Givenchy Paris Fashion Week show on March 6, 2026.Credit: River Callaway/WWD via Getty
"She actually has an upper limb disability, which means that her arms are shorter than basically everybody else's," the content creator said. "When I first saw the Givenchy look, I was actually kind of touched."
Mikey's shorter arms are a birth defect caused by thalidomide, a drug her mother was prescribed to treat her morning sickness while pregnant. She has made her name as an advocate for others living with disabilities caused by the harmful medication. Per the Thalidomide Trust, a British charity which Mikey used to chair, the drug is now used to treat myeloma, a cancer that originates in the bone marrow, and Hansen's disease, also known as leprosy.
In her recent video, Madeline — who has 9.6 million TikTok followers and 3.2 million on Instagram —said her face has always resembled her mom's, but that has generally been the limit of their physical similarities since Madeline's upper limbs are normally sized.
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"But when I saw that video, I was like, 'Oh my god, I look like my mum! 'Cause I hadn't seen that the T-shirt was making my arms look so short [until then]. I fit for that look two hours before the show, so I had no idea that it looked like that, and I was excited," the online personality said, referring to footage of her wearing the Givenchy ensemble. "Then I open the comment section and I was like, 'Hmm.'"
She continued, "I'm sure there was no ill will behind any of the comments, but I think that there are people with bodies like that, and it's not funny. It's beautiful. And I was actually very excited to resemble my mummy for a second."
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Madeline admitted that she was "struggling" to phrase her feelings in a polite manner, since she's never been shy about chastising those with unkind things to say about Mikey.
"Like, if anyone's ever made a joke at my mom's expense before, I've never had to mince my words or be gentle," said Madeline. "I know it wasn't aimed at my mum. I know it wasn't with ill intentions. So I just thought that I would just throw it out there and just let you know, gently, one time more."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
