Another season of Toronto’s LG Fashion Week wrapped up on Friday, and throughout the week of the spring 2011 fashion shows there was one thing missing: plus size models.
Just as the fashion industry is promising a shift towards a more real representation of models with Vogue magazine publishing a shape issue entirely featuring plus size models, the recent Toronto Fashion week showed a huge lack of a representation of curvy women by using no plus size models.
Jill Fraleigh from the Southlake Hospital eating disorder clinic in Newmarket told thedailyplanet.com that including more plus size women in runway shows could positively influence the self-esteem of young women.
“Showing different shapes, sizes and colours in the diversity of the models will make them feel more accepted, and its just a lot more real,” she said.
It’s ultimately up to the designer on which models they book and what the sample size of their collection is.
Last season, Toronto Fashion week created a buzz when U.S. plus size model, Crystal Renn, closed the Joe Fresh label’s show. The mass-market brand’s creative director Joe Mimran said when announcing last season’s runway lineup, “The Joe Fresh Style customer base is diverse and we wanted the runway show to reflect this. We create clothing for everyone, and know how important it is to show our styles on women of different ages and body types.”
Expectations for the Joe Fresh brand to feature more real women on the runway was disappointed. It wasn’t only Joe Fresh who did not include any plus size models it was also 27 other designers who chose thin models to represent their clothing.
Searching for Toronto based agencies that represent plus sized models is a challenge. When contacted by thedailyplanet.com, the top agencies including Sutherland Models, Elite Model Management and Next Models said they not represent curvier figures.
Next models told thedailyplanet.com that plus size models are considered to be a woman’s dress size of 8-10, but they do not represent any.
Carolyn Nikkanen from Carolyn’s Model and Talent agency said they currently represent three plus size models. “The reason plus size models have such a hard time getting runway work is that designers stick to making sample sizes which is the generic sizing for models.”
Most designer’s sample size is the standard size 2.
“Our models mainly book lifestyle and commercial jobs, were really hoping there will be a designer who will design specifically for plus size women and will give the models an opportunity to do runway and show a more positive body image.”
Former Americas Next Top Model winner and plus size model Whitney Thompson spoke out about Vogue’s shape issue by telling Glamour Magazine, “I applaud Vogue for having a shape issue, but screw Vogue for not having shapes in every issue. It's infuriating because we have to be excited, that there's one issue that has girls who eat.”
