NYFW: Forget the Clothes, Let’s Talk About the Women Wearing Them

PHOTO: WOMEN’S FASHION WEEK VIA FACEBOOK

The CFDA pushed model diversity pre-fashion week. Refreshingly, many designers listened.

NEW YORK – Itty-bitty crop tops. Tailored pantsuits. Enveloping trench coats. But more interesting than the breadth of Instagram-able looks that consumed the catwalks (and there were plenty) were the women wearing them. Models ranging in age, race and body type flooded the runways, suggesting that maybe – just maybe – the fashion industry is finally ready to embrace that haunted d-word: diversity.

On August 26, Stephen Kolb, the CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, addressed a short letter to CFDA members in which he asked them to “remember to promote diversity and inclusion on and off the runway.” The letter also encouraged designers to “take into account the age of models that [they] hire.”

 Refreshingly, many designers listened. According to a report from the Fashion Spot, the spring 2020 NYFW was one of the most diverse to date. The report found that 48.6% of models who walked this year were models of color, although that number is only a 1% increase from the fall 2019 percentage. The Fashion Spot also found that a record number of plus-sized models walked at NYFW, although plus-sized models still only constituted three percent on runway models.  

Although the report found that women over the age of 50 are still one of the least visible groups at Fashion Week, ten designers embraced older ages. Older women walked the runway at Kate Spade, including 51-year-old journalist and model Gianni Couji and the 65-year-old Instagram sensation Lyn Slater, known to her followers as “The Accidental Icon.” The show also featured women from non-modeling backgrounds, such as influencer Vanessa Hong and art curator Kimberly Drew. Draped against the sunny and sophisticated Elizabeth Street Garden, the models’ artistry and whimsy complemented the Garden’s signature stone statues and lush greenery. 

 Maryam Nassir Zadeh, who is known for her eclectic designs and unconventional runway shows, celebrated an array of body types during her show at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Models with athletic builds sported the collections’ first two looks —– a sheer brocade vest and a loose khaki coat, both paired with swim bottoms to show off the models’ muscular legs. Zadeh continued to celebrate the female body throughout her collection, sending models down the runway sans bra and choosing form-fitting or cropped items for curvier women. The effect was marvellous, of course, proving that you don’t need to be ultra-slim with small breasts to wear a bra as a top (without high-waisted bottoms, mind you).

Then there are the brands that set the standard, where diversity wasis part of the fabric and not a trendy accessory. At Christian Siriano’s spring 2020 show, men and women walked the show together, blurring gender normativity. Men wore straight-cut tube tops, women wore boxy pantsuits. Plus-sized women of color shined in sparkling fringe dresses with skinny spaghetti straps. Thin, statuesque models were covered neck-to-toe. With his diverse cast of characters, Siriano sent a clear message to consumers: there are no more elitist rules in fashion.

 For shoppers, representation matters. Admiring a brand’s aesthetic or a designer’s creativity means nothing if potential customers can’t wear the clothes. 

“I’ve found that a lot of brands design clothes for tall, skinny people,” says 21-year-old Christina Duval, who is 5”3 and describes her figure as curvy. “I am neither tall nor skinny so I hate shopping at those places.  It’s disheartening.  When I see brands include more body types during their runway shows, it makes me more likely to want to shop there, because maybe there will actually be something that looks good on me.”

Sending a few non-traditional models down a runway doesn’t necessarily signify a designer’s commitment to diversity. While diversity is a step forward, it can’t be isolated without also considering. It’s also worth discussing a model’s walk, sex appeal and the clothes that are chosen for her. What does it say, for example, that Couji and Slater were almost completely covered-up? Or that Christian Siriano’s plus-sized models were conveniently voluptuous with hour-glass curves? Will the fashion industry reach a point where visibly differently-abled individuals are invited to walk down the runway too?

 Perhaps the reason “diversity” is still a haunting d-word for fashion is not because they're not making any changes, but because their definition of diversity still doesn’t include everyone. Its contingent diversity. It’s conditional love. It’s a definition of beautiful that is broader for designing clothes than it is for humans’ bodies.   

Expanding definitions of beauty doesn’t happen overnight, and based on the (albeit incremental) progress being made from season to season, it seems likely that those questions will be addressed by the broader fashion community soon. For now, brands are exhibiting a discreet diversity. They don’t shout their commitment to inclusion from the rooftops, or knock you over the head with it. Rather, non-traditional models fit so seamlessly into this year’s collections that if you weren’t actively looking for them, you might not notice.

That’s a good thing. By including models of varying races, ages and body types in their collections, designers aren’t just expanding their customer base (although economics are always a factor), they are also expanding the definitions of femininity and womanhood. If NYFW taught us anything, it’s that designers are recognizing that there’s more than one type of woman – and more than one way to dress like one.