The Diversity Edit
(Written in the style of Stylist Magazine)
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Transgender models, unphotoshopped images, gender-neutral make-up and mannequins with head scarves. We’re exploring the steps the fashion world is taking to make diversity the new norm.
When it comes to fashion, the amount of options, variety and diversity there is on offer can be quite overwhelming – whether your style is 90s Clueless checked co-ord vibes or you take your inspiration from Kim K with her iconic joggers and heels looks, there’s trends to represent everyone. When it comes to the people who model these looks however, the diversity has always been far less prominent. Nevertheless, in recent times, this has all started to change. Whilst many brands have been taking baby steps over the past few years to kick-start a change in diversity in the fashion industry, more recently some brands have started to make the first big moves which will hopefully set precedent for others into creating a fashion world where diversity is no longer a movement, but the norm.
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Leading the way in the diversity movement is a brand we all know and most likely obsessively love - ASOS. As if their never-ending supply of unbelievably cool and incredibly affordable clothes wasn’t enough, their campaign to ‘promote a healthy, positive body image and to fully represent our increasingly diverse and international customer base so that they feel their best’ has just made our ASOS love affair all the more unrelenting. With men’s clothing from size XXXS to XXXL and women’s ranging from a 2 to a 30 as well as having petite and tall ranges and CURVE accessories to ensure babes of all sizes can be accessorised, ASOS knows how to cater for all of their customers. In the past week they’ve even announced that they will be starting to use augmented reality to show their products on models of different sizes meaning we’ll no longer have to guess what a product will look like on our body shape – ASOS really are out here making dreams come true. Not only do they dominate in the sizing side of things, but with 150 models on their books who come in all shapes, sizes and ethnicities along with models who have piercings, tattoos, rainbow hair, gold teeth, androgynous women and effeminate men, if someone looks it then ASOS has represented it. As if all of that wasn’t enough, their new non-gendered make-up line just reinforced their place at the top of the diversity charts with their oh so relatable tagline stating, ‘We all deserve to glow no matter your gender.’ – I doubt you’ve ever heard anything more true. To top it all off, their recent men’s show at New York Fashion Week showcased models not only of different ethnicities, but also featured plus-sized, transgender and first- time models, showing that everyone should have a chance to shine.
Next on the list of brands who are helping to make a change is MissGuided. With their ongoing #MakeYourMark campaign, which is aimed at encouraging people to embrace their ‘flaws’, MissGuided have made quite a stir in the fashion industry. Starting with following in ASOS’s footsteps by not photoshopping their models leaving their blemishes and stretch marks on show, they then moved on to creating beautifully diverse mannequins. The mannequins were created with the help of make-up artists and depict women from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and with features from freckles and vitiligo to stretch marks as well as some wearing head scarves. Whilst this showcase of diversity seemed like a huge step in the right direction for many, some people weren’t impressed as all the models are able- bodied, slim and tall which is still in line with typical model standards. One customer even tweeted ‘Great to see MissGuided have got mannequins with freckles, stretchmarks etc. but how about some which aren't a size 0 now.’ Whilst we love MissGuided’s bold move with the mannequins and hope other brands follow suit, we do see where there is room for improvement.
When it came to Fashion Week, it wasn’t only ASOS that was promoting diversity. Fashion forum Fashion Spot, who tracks the diversity statistics across Fashion Week found that Fall 2018’s shows across New York, London, Milan and Paris saw 32.5% of castings going to models of colour. Although this is far from where we need to be, when they first started tracking runway diversity during Spring 2015, only 17% of models were non-white proving that diversity is on its way up. Another triumph is the fact that there were 64 transgender and non-binary castings across 52 shows which is incredible considering in Fall 2017 only 12 transgender or non-binary models made it in the shows. However, sought after transgender model Teddy Quinlivan was responsible for 25 of those castings, so although the LGBTQ community may be being represented more than in the past, they still need to be represented by more than one person. Although these figures are increasingly positive, when it came to the representation of plus size and older women, the fashion world took two steps back. Out of 7,608 castings across Fashion Week, only 30 plus size models walked in the shows this season compared to 38 last season, whilst only 13 models, that’s 0.2%, were aged 50 or older. Despite these dismal figures, of the top 12 models this season who received the most castings, 6 of them were woman of colour and to top it off, the girl most in demand was Shanelle Nyasiase, a striking South Sudanese model with 43 shows under her belt out of 242.
However, while it may be considered cynical to say, with current movements such as Black Lives Matter, Black Panther making a significant impact in the film industry and Trump proposing to ban transgender people from serving in the military, it could be considered that the PR buzz around these things may be the driving force behind brands using black and transgender models, as they are currently ‘in fashion’. So, next time hear that ‘diversity is the newest trend this season’, take it with a pinch of salt. Although this may seem like the breakthrough we’ve all been waiting for in the fashion world, models who are considered as diverse aren’t looking to become a fashion statement because of their looks or to be used as a savvy business move which brands are capitalising on to lure in more customers. We don’t want designers to include one or two ‘token’ black, Asian, transgender, plus size and so on models on their runways or websites to create the guise that they’re part of the movement on diversity. We don’t want any skin colour other than white or any clothes size over an 8 to be considered ‘on trend’ this season, for it to then be old news next season. What we want is for diversity to become the new norm and for the brands, businesses and designers who have the opportunity to strengthen this movement by including models of all shapes, sizes and colours in their ads, on their runways and on their websites to do so and to follow in the footsteps of those who have already taken the lead.