In the fashion industry (and almost every other industry), there is exclusivity among designers and models that does not promote diversity or inclusion. To shed light on this issue, after each runway season TheFashionSpot publishes a Diversity Report that details the presence of diverse models, whether it’s by race, gender, body type or age on the runways of fashion week around the world. Here’s a list of just five of the fashion designers that came out on top of the spring/summer 2017 Diversity Report.
Kanye West (Yeezy)
Kanye West’s latest spring/summer ’17 showcase of his Yeezy Season 4 collection at NYFW was not his greatest, but probably his most controversial. Regardless of the negative aspects of his show, Yeezy Season 4 stood out (in a good way) for one reason: it featured the most models of color when compared to the rest. For the second season in a row, Kanye’s show was the most diverse featuring models of color as the majority. Say what you will about Kanye, but the fact is that he always gets people talking. We’re just happy that this time it’s about race.
Ashish Gupta (Ashish)
London based, Dheli-born designer Ashish Gupta is the sequin-obsessed man behind Ashish, the third most diverse fashion show of the spring/summer ’17 season. Of all the models casted in his show, which was a celebration of his Indian culture, 75 percent of them were models of color. Male and female models walked the runway in unisex clothing made from traditional Indian fabrics bedazzled with sequins and jewels. Ashish is one of few London designers who actually promotes and practices inclusion.
Rio Uribe (Gypsy Sport)
Gypsy Sport designer Rio Uribe is a young man who has long been blurring gender lines in the clothes he designs and wears. After six years at Balenciaga doing everything from shoveling snow to merchandising the showrooms, he created Gypsy Sport, a unisex label that defies fashion norms and is all about “mixing genders, mixing roles, mixing identities.” Models on the runway of his latest collection, which was a mix of color, floral patterns, jerseys and slippers, featured transgender models as well as models of color.
Telfar Clemons (Telfar)
Designer Teflar Clemons is known for his simple and androgynous collections. In an interview with Vogue, Telfar said, “This isn’t men’s, it’s not women’s, it’s not sport, it’s not streetwear, it’s not casusalwear. It’s clothing.” Models of color made up 67 percent of the show and displayed his collection of basics including bright polos, striped outfits, pantsuits with oval cutouts at the knee, a great deal of cut denim and a onesie swimsuit.
Becca McCharen (Chromat)
The models included on the runway of Chromat’s latest season were plus-sized, transgender and women of color. Designer Becca McCharen did not fall short in her attempt to show beauty in all shapes, sizes, colors and genders. Season after season, she has stressed the importance of inclusion and proved that it is possible to pull off a beautiful show when all those affected by fashion are included. In an interview earlier this year with Elle, she said, “You can’t just sit back and then – poof – your runway is diverse. It’s a deliberate act.”
Something to note about this list is the fact that it is heavy with designers who are themselves people of color. Due to the fact that designers of color make up a small percentage of designers that show during fashion week (2.7 percent in 2015), it is disappointing that the majority of diversity comes from this small group. Also note that most of the designers who topped the Diversity Report have done so in prior seasons as well. Now that it has been shown that fashion is still great (maybe even better) when all walks of life are presented, we can only hope that more designers follow suit and practice inclusion.