Armani staff 'alarmed' at anorexic model

The death of Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston from anorexia last Tuesday was given a tragically ironic twist yesterday when it emerged that the designer Giorgio Armani's staff had complained that she was too skinny.

Ms Reston was photographed for an Armani catalogue last year. A spokesperson for Armani, concerned about the model's appearance during the shoot, telephoned Lica Kohlrausch, director at her agency, L'Equipe in Sao Paulo, to say that the model was "too thin".

Ms Kohlrausch, concerned that someone used to dealing with models every day would make such a complaint, said yesterday: "I acted immediately, but didn't see any signs of anorexia on her return."

Ms Reston died on the eve of a photoshoot, in Paris, having kept her weight down on a diet of tomatoes and apples. She was 5ft 7ins (170cm) but weighed only six stone (38kg).