One of Australia’s most prestigious fashion “galas” – Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival – made history this week.
How so?
Did no-one turn up?
Is polyester the new silk?
Gumboots the new stiletto?
Nup.
History has been made with the holding of a fashion parade for plus sized clothing with plus sized models – for the first time ever.
Seems crazy doesn’t it? There have obviously been plus sized women around forever, but never have they been acknowledged by the fashtastic fashionista’s of the fashion world. I could speculate very long and loud (in a very nasty & bitter tone) as to why this may be, but alas it would do no-one any good. Fact is that now, the bigger girls are OUT and PROUD and can I say looking mighty fine as these catwalk photo’s can attest to.
It truly is about time and I congratulate retailer City Chic for doing whatever they had to do to get their clothing and models up there on the catwalk. I don’t think it can have been easy and am reasonably certain there would have been more than one organiser of the week that would have turned their nose up at the suggestion of a plus sized parade.
Let’s hope that City Chic’s bravado rubs off on the executives of Australia’s largest department store Myers. While Myers have recently decided to also have plus sized fashion parades, they are doing so only at their in-store functions. Much has been made of the ‘big gals’ walking the catwalk with arguably Australia’s most well know model of the moment – former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins – but little of the fact that they have been deemed still not acceptable enough to parade in front of the buyers, magazine editors and influential fashion media who attend Rosemount. As fashion blogger Patty Huttington writes – it just ain’t quite good enough.
C’mon Myers. Embrace body diversity fully, not just half way. Can’t you see how glorious and beautiful these women are? Don’t they deserve a turn where the real spotlight is? What a shame you missed the chance to take the lead here like City Chic – a much much smaller retailer. They have lead the way here and now all you can do is follow, but follow I hope you will.
You’ll look mighty lean and superficial if you don’t.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
good post. I can't get over how beautiful she is
& great pics, Julesy!
Ooh, but there's just a wee bit of the old Aunty Funbuster in me today though… I look at these lovely ladies and still wonder whether the 'plus size' thing is a misnomer when it's applied to models like this. Kind of like the 'curvy' tag. To me, they look just like healthy women.
I know, I know, technically it's correct and that's how fashion tags them, but I just can't help but cringe & whinge a little. I know you know what I mean. Maybe I've got my cranky pants on today…
That said, big kudos to City Chic and Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival – and you, for your fabulous blogging.
Thanks Aunty Funbuster! I know exactly what you mean. It's ludicrous that these women are considered plus size, but alas, is a sign of the fashion times. Maybe if they don't get separated out so much from all the other models there will be less of this categorisation. One can only hope so.
That's a great point you make about the possibilities that may come through not separating (or – as they have been thus far – excluding!) these models from other models.
At the very least it's a step in the right direction towards embracing a greater range of body shapes as normal… and promoting fashion that a much greater range of girls and women can enjoy.
One of the (many!) ways we can help teenage girls feel good about their bodies is to provide great fashion in their size (which is something that was near impossible in the bad old days). And in that regard at least, I'm so glad there are more options for girls (and women) today.
I went to the runway show and did a review of it on my blog: http://corpulent.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/fatshion-on-the-runway-the-rundown-on-city-chic/
The models featured here (Laura Wells and Elizabeth Green) are on the smaller end of plus size; I estimate they're a size 14. But there were some larger girls on the runway, including City Chic's main model Courtney Maxwell. I definitely saw some jiggly upper arms which made me very excited!
I cringed a little when I saw these gorgeous healthy women labeled as "plus" sized. They look average to me! Shame on the fashion industry.
Beth, why cringe? Is 'plus-size' such an exclusive, narrow term that only a select few women get to use it? Hardly.
Nor is "gorgeous and healthy" and plus-sized mutually exclusive.
My review and photos of the show are here: http://runwayrevolution.com/2009/08/chic-in-the-city/