I had intended to post this blog over a week ago as New York Fashion Week was happening but I wasn’t 100% happy with the message, I like to keep things relatively light and fun without getting political so I needed to take a minute to gather my thoughts. If you pay any attention to the fashion world you’ll know that diversity is a big topic right now. Race and gender are the two top contenders but my personal passion lies with diversity in size. Even now in the generation of the ShEO and the “Future is Female” there is still a massive discrepancy when it comes to the diversity of the sizes in fashion. The “typical” model or influencer who fits the sample size is often utilised for fashion shows and campaigns and sadly men and women who don’t fit into a sample size are discarded and put into the “plus size” category.
I remember a few months ago a girl DM’d me on Instagram with the details of an open model search encouraging me to apply, I was flattered but then read the post and it was searching for a “plus size” model minimum size AU 16 (US 12). I stopped dead in my tracks – did this girl think I was plus size?! I am an AU size 12 (US 8) and the average woman is now suggested between size 14-16 AU so I am below average. It is for this exact reason that there needs to be a shift to adjust the balance in the fashion industry so that men and women of ALL shapes, size and colours are represented equally so that we are sending a positive message to all the boys and girls out there that it is OK just to be themselves, they don’t need to mould themselves into an someone else’s perceived version of pretty.
Top C/Meo Collective // Pants Sportsgirl // Shoes TopShop (Sold Out) // Sunglasses Bec & Bridge X Pared // Handbag & Scarf Louis Vuitton //