It still seems like diversity is constantly out of reach for certain designers. Last February, The Fashion Spot found plus-size models made just 27 appearances on eight runways during New York Fashion Week. The number wasn't as high as the previous season, which saw over 200 curve and plus-size models walk. While Torrid and Addition Elle, two plus-specific brands, skewed the September 2017 results, labels like Christian Siriano and Chromat led the charge when it came to body diversity and inclusivity. And this season, it's become even more evident that the brands that get it, get it.
Glamour tallied up the number of curve models that made appearances at New York Fashion Week last week and found 70+ non-straight-size models walked. Though usual suspects like Siriano (12 models) and Chromat (13) contributed to this heavily, brands like Michael Kors (2), Cushnie (3), Mara Hoffman (3), and Sies Marjan (2) all added curve models to their repertoire. Rihanna's first runway show for her Savage x Fenty lingerie line had an incredibly diverse model line-up that featured 14 curve and two pregnant models (including Slick Woods, who reportedly went into labor backstage). Gypsy Sport cast six, Studio 189, Miaou, and Kim Shui cast three, Eckhaus Latta, Tome, Lou Dallas, and Prabal Gurang cast two, and Collina Strada cast one.
At this point, inclusivity is like clockwork for Siriano and Chromat designer Becca McClaren, who both have done the work time and time again to show diversity in a non-tokenizing way. As for Savage x Fenty, Rihanna told Refinery29 backstage that the show was meant to celebrate women of all forms, body types, and cultures. She clearly made good on that promise. It looks like Savage x Fenty is shaking up the lingerie industry the same way Fenty Beauty did — and we're 100% here for it.
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