Fashion + Diversity
Diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one to another. It’s the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc. But in fashion, it’s about empowering people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different, in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and national origin. We live in a society whose fabric is diversity, but does the fashion industry reflect this? Does fashion truly celebrate what makes us different?
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The Fighting of Text Book Diversity and Those Who Defined the Odds to Inspire Us
Diversity is used everyday. Do we really know the meaning of it and how to practice it? Businesses use it to make a role vacancy appealing but delving deeper than this opens up the discussion. For me personally, diversity is about where we came from and where we want to go, our stories are all unique. As Malcom Forbes said “diversity, the art of thinking independently together.” A Social Background A person’s social background is a huge part of what diversity means. Your social background does not determine how your life ends up and fashion seems to define the odds of your class status. The clothes you wear today probably…
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The Long and Winding Road: Fashion Brands’ Journey to Diversity
The fashion industry has changed in many ways during the last few decades. Although the evolvement of fast fashion has resulted in a variety of complexities, some positive developments have occurred as well. Slowly, the fashion product offer has begun to diversify and serve more than one or two body types. More recently, the marketing of fashion has allowed a more diverse range of models to be seen by consumers. Narrow size ranges Many fashion brands from high street to luxury have had a narrow clothing size offer in the past. Those size ranges have not reflected the needs of many fashion consumers. By choosing to offer clothes in sizes…
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When Will Adaptive Clothing Become the New Normal?
The fashion industry has made noticeable progress with its level of diversity but the disabled market is still significantly underrepresented. From catwalk shows to marketing campaigns to shopping on the high-street, disabled consumers are often forgotten, despite the fact they want to be just as stylish as the rest of us. Over 13.9 million people are disabled in the UK alone, of which many have significant spending power. So why have nearly all fashion brands chosen to ignore this huge sector of the market? With consumers becoming more woke and only aligning with brands that offer diversity and inclusivity, adaptive clothing could soon be crucial to a brand’s success. The…
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No Secret that Victoria’s Secret Was Desperate for a Change
Calling for Change We live in challenging times when almost everything is being questioned and asked for change. It does not matter whether we look at politics, sport or simply just the way of living, everything seems to be facing an important question. Is this enough? Are we doing it right? Not even the fashion industry got spared when it comes to big changes. Maybe it is because fashion is something that is more or less accompanying us for our whole life. Some might not realise that, but fashion and lifestyle are affecting the way others see us as a person, the way the society is accepting us. Yes, it…
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Reminder: the Fashion Industry STILL Lacks Inclusivity…
Race Vogue magazine in a 2019 article stated that “The 2010s were a watershed moment for diversity in fashion”. The article boldly argues that all elements of the industry have opened its doors in the past decade to minorities with no segment of the business left untouched. Although the article references Balmain’s and Louis Vuitton’s appointment of Oliver Rousting and Virgil Abloh as valid examples of ways that the industry has recently welcomed people of colour to take center stage, it’s suggestion that the industry should be praised for its efforts to diversify is wrong. Yes, the Black Lives Matter movement has prompted many within fashion to take the necessary…
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Valentina Sampaio: The Latest SI Swimsuit “Rookie”
Making history Valentina Sampaio is the 23-year-old model creating waves with her ground-breaking feature in the 2020 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. The Brazilian trailblazer has become the first transgender woman to appear in the magazine since its first edition in 1964. Sampaio, who has become the latest swimsuit “rookie” revealed for 2020, marks a turning point for the transgender community and Sports Illustrated. Whilst her Vogue Paris cover in 2017 was her first personal milestone, Sampaio has continued to succeed. In addition, in 2019, she became the first transgender model to walk in the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Another huge breakthrough in a traditionally exclusive industry that is often set…
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(Fashion) Minority Report: Restoring the Fashion Industry.
The newly created ‘(Fashion) Minority Report’ could potentially be the breakthrough we have all been waiting for, in the attempt to start a new movement in the British fashion industry. Within this article, you will find some helpful information on the new campaign and how to get involved! What is the ‘Fashion Minority Report’? A new three-step programme has launched this July, creating a programme to improve diversity within the fashion industry in the UK. (Fashion) Minority Report was developed with the intention to encourage fashion companies to commit to recruiting and promoting diversity within their companies. This will be encouraged to be done easily through the inclusion of members…
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Diversity on Catwalks: A Remedy for Toxic Beauty Standards
Over the years, diversity on the catwalk has become a growing theme to challenge beauty standards in the fashion industry. Models have always been a reflection of the ideal shape, size, height, and colour that societal norms have reinforced. Since a young age I have always been inspired by fashion and catwalks, I admired the looks of many models and dreamed that only one day I could be as beautiful. Needless to say, the models I desired to look like were thin, tall and mostly white. I am not tall nor as thin, surely this was harmful to the way I see myself at the age of 14? If I…
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The Gender Binary, Fashion, and Diversity
Fashion and the gender binary Fashion is something that the vast majority of people see every day and this includes those who fall outside the gender binary. From seeing fashion magazines on shop shelves to actively watching what the newest designers put out on the runways, most people in society have some form of interaction with the fashion industry on a regular basis. As such, doesn’t it make sense that fashion campaigns should accurately reflect the diversity of this society? It makes sense that they should. However, this isn’t always the case. Diversity can be defined as the inclusion of people from a variety of social backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds, sexualities,…
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Hijab-Wearing Models Take Their Place on the Catwalk
For a very long time, not only in fashion but the world, there has been a sort of disliking towards Muslims. A woman wearing a hijab signifies that they are Muslim. It is a large visible indicator that they cannot escape from. So, having them strut the catwalk in recent years is a big step into opening the minds of close-minded people. Such close-minded people view hijab women as oppressed from the men in the religion but also the religion itself. As a Muslim woman myself, I can confirm that this is untrue for most women. In Islam, women should only wear the hijab if they want to devote their…
