These brands make inclusivity a priority.
If 2018 was the year of the woman, I would like to dedicate 2019 to the year of true inclusivity, and representation within the fashion industry. The fashion industry, which has a market value of $385 billion dollars, is known for being narrow not only in its definition of beauty but also its limited offerings for people larger than size 10. It’s an interesting conundrum because the average woman wears a size 16 but many brands don’t cater to that size or above.
Anthropologie announced it would launch a plus size range and I’ m hopeful that the trend of body positivity and diversity will actually take hold. Here are five inclusive fashion brands to shop right now:
1. ASOS
Founded 18 years ago, ASOS has become a global fashion destination for just about everyone. The UK brand is known for their edgy, street-style-inspired clothing and has ranges for men, women, tall, petite and plus. And not only do they create their own collections, they house over 850 brands of clothing and accessories.
2. Knix
In 2013, Joanna Griffiths launched Knix with one product—leak-proof, absorbent underwear. The undies come in sizes S to XXL and, after the success of the Evolution Bra, which gained $1 million in sales and over 55,000 preorders alone on Kickstarter, Knix grew to become a lingerie brands to watch. Their bras also come in a range of styles from sizes 32A to 42G.
3. Hayley Elsaesser
This Canadian designer is truly pushing the boundaries of fashion and inclusivity. Her shows at Toronto Fashion Week are known to be a colourful display of fun, bright prints with range of models. Hayley chose not to participate in the 2019 Toronto Fashion Week and actually published a blog post about the state of the fashion industry and its lack of inclusivity. She was also part of a recent panel for FLARE magazine talking about the future of fashion week.
4. Joe Fresh
In 2017, Canadian retailer Joe Fresh announced it would offer extended sizing for women. Almost two years later, Joe Fresh has kept its promise with by offering selection of its clothing in XL to 3X. What I personally love about this brand is that the plus clothing is integrated into the rest of the clothing. I visited the Queen West location and noticed that there was no plus section but actually had the extended sizing hanging with the rest.
5. Savage by Fenty
When Rihanna isn’t busy taking the beauty industry by storm, she’s carving out her space in the fashion industry as an inclusive, body positive fashion designer. Her lingerie brand, Savage by Fenty, from its marketing campaign and runway show at New York Fashion Week, to the models on the brand’s website, there is every shade and body type represented. Her collection ranges from 32A to 44DD.
Wake up, fashion!
From luxury designers like Christian Siriano and Lesley Hampton to our consumer brands like ASOS and Joe Fresh, there are a few fashion designers who seem to be pen to change within the industry. And, interestingly enough the fashion industry could make an extra $300 billion dollars from creating adaptive and inclusive fashion. It would benefit everyone for the more designers to be more inclusive and it’s up to us as consumers to support brands that already are.
Image Sources:
https://www. businessinsider.com.au/asos-2017-results-sales-profit-revenue-2017-10
https://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/fitness/knix-catalyst-sports-bra-r…
https://hypebae.com/2017/9/hayley-elsaesser-toronto-fashion-week-nike-ai…
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/07/30/joe-fresh-plus-size_a_23057057/
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/savage-x-fenty-plus-size-lingerie-differ…
Research:
Style Caster. https://stylecaster.com/body-positive-fashion-brands/
CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/life/style/cool-canadian-brands-embracing-inclusive-sizing-1.4878304
The Kit. https://thekit.ca/style/knix-bras/
Savage by Fenty. https://www.savagex.com/fitguide