A Full-Page Ad in the New York Times Is Demanding Diversity at NYFW

A push for more representation of full sizes in fashion calls for a full-page ad … in the New York Times no less. On Day 1 of New York Fashion Week, Dia & Co., a personal styling service for plus-size women, placed a huge ad in the paper calling for designers to be more inclusive in their sizes

“Fashion she can’t wear is becoming a bit unfashionable,” the bright blue ad brilliantly stated in large black letters.

So true. Most of us would never fit into anything we see on the runway. And it’s getting a little old.

Underneath, it read: “There are 100 million plus-size women in this country. The time has come for real inclusivity. Let’s move from talk to action. This week, we challenge true fashion vanguards to start designing for all women of all sizes. With the expertise we’ve developed from working with over 1 million plus-size women, we commit to breaking down any barriers that stand in our way.”

At the bottom of the ad, there’s a number for people to call when they’re “ready to move fashion forward.”

“We have heard loud and clear from our community that there is a deep desire to participate fully in fashion,” a representative from Dia & Co. told Yahoo Style. “We knew we wanted to do something to bring attention to the opportunity there is for designers to serve this community exceptionally,” the rep said of choosing to place the ad in the respected newspaper. “And we also knew we didn’t want to just talk about it — we wanted to put our money where our mouth is and step up to actually support those designers who do decide to take action.”

Not only did Dia & Co. create this ad, but it also conducted a study of 1,500 plus-size women and found that 72 percent said they do not believe fashion designers create their designs with the average American woman in mind.

The study also found that 78 percent would be willing to spend more money on clothing if more designers offered plus-size options.

The company even asked which designer the respondents wished would create clothing in more realistic sizes. Kate Spade came in No. 1, followed by Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole, and Diane von Furstenberg.

The company called out these designers on Twitter today, but not to cause drama. “It was important to us in creating the campaign that we’re celebrating brands that we love, and that our community loves. We don’t want to attack them; we want to support them,” the representative said. “We have specific capabilities and expertise that could be useful to these brands if and when they move toward inclusivity, and we’re offering that in a completely genuine way.”

Dia & Co. also lauded Chromat, Christian Siriano, and Tadashi Shoji, “who have made it their mission to create size-inclusive lines.”

New York Fashion Week has made some progress as well. “New York’s Spring 2017 runways featured the most plus-size model appearances in recent history,” the representative said. “Granted, plus-size models only accounted for 0.54 percent of all model appearances at NYFW that year — but that actually put New York ahead, as the percentage of plus size models across Fashion Month in general was 0.18 percent.”

Hence the timing of the ad — at the beginning of fashion month and on the first day of NYFW.

“Most importantly to us, the progress has yet to be felt by the 100 million women in this country who still do not have access to the same stylish options as their straight-sized counterparts,” the representative points out. “More than anything, that’s what is inspiring us to do our part to take bold action now.”

Dia & Co.’s representative said the people at the company are fans of New York Fashion Week. “The creativity and vision on display each year are incredibly inspiring for us. We also know it would be even better if it were more inclusive. For us, there are two key dimensions for inclusivity at Fashion Week: who’s represented on the runway, and who has access to eventually purchase the garments.”

Only a small fraction of the designers showing at NYFW are currently selling clothing above a size 14. Seeing as 67 percent of American women are plus size, “that leaves a lot of us unable to participate,” Dia & Co. points out.

Let’s hope the designers got the message — we think it was loud and clear.

Read More:

8 Things Every Plus-Size Girl Needs in Her Closet This Winter

Curvy Woman Overcomes Shyness and Appears in Sizzling Ad Campaign

11 Super Cozy Plus-Size Sweaters Under $50

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