The world of fashion and modeling has been so segregated, it almost seems like we’ve broken a huge fashion barrier with the inclusion of runway diversity. But although today, more and more designers are including curvy women on their runway, there still seems to be an underrepresented body image in the world of high fashion.
These days you’ll find more retail brands are beginning to understand the value and buying power behind curvy women and it shows. More retail brands are offering extended sizes, but high-fashion designers hasn’t yet picked up on this trend.
Although it’s not always favored to have curvy women on the runway, as avant garde designer Adrian Alicea shared in an interview, “For my Spring/Summer 2012 New York Fashion Week show, I incorporated two plus models. Amongst my colleagues in the high fashion arena, I got the most negative comments about including plus size women in my show”. In the world of high fashion when the boobs and the butt is involved, it becomes a big freak show, and quickly becomes frowned down upon.”
Couture and high fashion was always said to be somewhat fantasy- made for thin women who fit the fashion world’s standard of beauty of size- double 0 to a size 2. Some designers have deemed size 4-6 as plus size, which is totally erroneous, but if it’s too similar to reality then it takes away from the fantasy. To keep the fantasy of fashion going, rigid demands are set in place for models to look particular way- with an unachievable type of beauty; unmatched for your average women.
Designer: @shandasays
MUA: @beautybychrissyc
Accy Stylist: @illasparkz
Art Director: @foeverproper
Photographer: @shotbyjason