Fashion week is a playground for designers, where they set the stage for new, thought-provoking trends for the season to come. However, the industry has been criticized the past few years for not being inclusive enough — be it the size zero of their models, model ethnicity or sexuality. Models of the past have been encouraged to lose weight on an unhealthy level which has led to eating disorders and even death in some cases, yet the industry seems to continue to favor models that are a certain size range.
Designer and Project Runway alum Michael Costello cast models up to size 20 for his show last Friday and included models of many different ethnicities. The models included Liris Crosse, featured above.
Designer Christian Siriano broke boundaries by casting a transgender model in his show. The model fit smoothly with the others walking in the show, and although there was no big “aha!” moment, it is still a pivotal moment for the industry. Siriano’s show also included models of all sizes (pictured below) as well as a gender fluid designs in an effort to become more inclusive.
This year’s fall fashion week, which happened back in March, boasted a model of color in every show — something many would argue should have already happened. However, the idea that people of color are finally being represented in these shows should be considered progress in an industry that has long considered itself a god-like figure for consumers. The industry is seemingly learning that if they want to keep the consumers they have, they’ll have to adjust the way they do things.