The runway has long made for a waifish ideals. During 219 shows in New York, London, Paris and Milan, Vogue affairs reported that only 17 brands had plus-size models — a statistic that reflects the true lack of size diversity in fashion and brands’ refusal to account for the realities of the women’s body. (According to a 2016 study of the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, the average American woman wears a size 16-18.) There is a similar, growing desire to represent people who fall in the “curve” or “mid-size” range, which is generally defined as size 6- 10. While they are still considered “straight size,” meaning in part that they can find their size at many retailers and brands, many curve models don’t fit sample sizes while not qualifying as plus.
But today, despite the many obstacles, plus-size and curvy models are some of the most recognizable faces in fashion. Ashley Graham has become a household name; British Vogue anointed Paloma Elsesser, Precious Lee and curve model Jill Kortleve “the new supers;” Yumi Nu graced the cover of the Sports illustrated swimsuit issue. But even with this increase in visibility, there is still a long way to go.
“I urge fashion never to let this momentum take hold until bodies and experiences like mine and beyond are no longer radical, no longer different; no longer rare, ‘Elsesser wrote on Instagram after appearing on the January 2021 cover Fashion. “I want to see larger-bodied women, dark-skinned women, people with disabilities, and all the iterations of identity that have left so many alone in the media.”
Below Fashion has collected some of the most groundbreaking curve and plus size models in the industry. You may recognize them from the runways of New York Fashion Week to the covers of your favorite magazines. If you don’t know their names yet, you will soon.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Paloma Elsesser
Agency: IMG
