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Diverse Fashion: Let Your Freak Flag Fly.
When I think of diversity, I do not necessarily go to the normal categories. Race, sexuality, gender, age, disability, and many others can seem, on occasion, not universal enough for people to discuss on a broader scale. When I think of diversity I think of the self, how each person, no matter their age, creed, hopes or dreams, is different and how we can make our individuality who we are. People are not all that different once we start wearing our true face on the outside. Everyone knows a little about themselves and therefore can determine their own style. Everyone can create their own diverse fashion. Frivolity: How fancy free…
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Fashion + Diversity – Are Brands Doing Enough?
Slowly, and steadily the fashion industry is becoming more diverse, but there is still a long way to go. If I asked you to name any models you could, you would probably give me names like Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner, and Cara Delevingne. What do all these women have in common? They’re all tall, skinny white women. If I asked you to name any models who don’t fit this description, how many could you name? In 2018, a report said that out of 7,608 models 32.5% were people of colour. Within the past decade, the industry has taken baby steps to be more inclusive. But we are still at the…
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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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Cultural Appropriation: Diversity in Fashion isn’t a Trend
Diversity shouldn’t be a fashion trend; the fashion industry needs to be diverse. Fashion lacks diversity in many ways. Maybe one brand limits its clothing to ‘one size fits all’ (even though we all know it doesn’t). Or perhaps the marketing for a new collection underrepresents ethnic minority groups or has an offensive campaign that exhibits cultural appropriation. On a regular basis, we can see the exclusivity of fashion. Yet we all wear clothes. So there shouldn’t be barriers preventing any individual from wearing what they want when they want. This said, in recent years the fashion industry has slowly moved towards more diversity in models, marketing and its attempt…
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United Colours of Benetton: how a small Italian brand became a bastion of diversity
The United Colours of Benetton may not be on the lips of consumers or hot on the press of newspaper campaigns anymore. But they really should be. For decades the brand lead the way in ‘shock-advertising’ bringing to the fore some of the most controversial topics of the day. An approach to advertising little seen before. In their heyday, the Italian brand managed to entice consumers with their one of a kind garments and became a staple in many European wardrobes. But since then their fortunes have dwindled somewhat and no longer resonates the way it used to. Where did it all start? Since its inception in 1965, the brand…
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Transgender Models: A History in the Making
The fashion industry is changing its ways to create a normal and acceptable perspective when it comes to transgender models. There are many questions to whether it is a marketing strategy due to the ever-changing and progressive views of generation-Z. However, that topic is for another article. Perhaps you’re asking why this is so important? Well, I will give you a little look into the history and appalling treatment of transgender models before the industry woke up. April Ashley – 60’s Model Born George Jamieson, April Ashley joined the navy at 16. The strain of living as the wrong gender proved too much. Ashley was discharged from the navy after…
