The Fashion Industry’s Backslide: A Worrying Trend of Excluding Plus-Size Models

As the Fall-Winter 2023 catwalks have come to a close, a disturbing trend has emerged: the scarcity of plus-size models on the runways of top fashion houses. This phenomenon has left many in the fashion industry and beyond concerned about the implications of this trend, particularly in light of the growing accessibility of weight loss medications.

Source: media.cnn.com

According to Tagwalk, a fashion search engine, the number of mid and plus-size models dropped by 24% in comparison to Spring-Summer 2023. This decline is particularly striking given the progress made in recent seasons, where brands such as Fendi, Valentino, and Erdem had begun to showcase plus-size models in their runway shows.

Source: media.cnn.com

As reported by CNN, the lack of representation of plus-size models on the runways has been met with widespread criticism from fashion commentators and diversity advocates. The trend has also sparked concern about the potential impact on the mental health and self-esteem of plus-size consumers, who are already underrepresented in the fashion industry.

Source: media.cnn.com