Last month, we discovered that fashion print ads are way more diverse than before, and it looks like diversity also hit the runway this past season. According to a recent report by The Fashion Spot, the runways at New York Fashion Week for Spring 2018 were the most diverse ever.
Out of 94 fashion shows, 36.9 percent of the models were nonwhite — according to TheFashionSpot.com, which compiles a diversity report each Fashion Week.
Additionally, each runway show featured at least two models of color, which was a first in New York Fashion Week history. Last season, each runway featured at least one model of color, which was a record at that time. Talk about major progress for designers!
The Washington Post fashion critic Robin Givhan shared her thoughts with FashionSpot on the record-breaking diversity on the runway.
“Certainly in the last 10 years, when the question of diversity not only entered the spotlight but became a sustained topic of conversation, there’s been undeniable progress. The statistics show it, but you can see it anecdotally, which in some ways is even more important. It’s one thing to quote statistics that include a look at minor shows, mass-market brands and barely known design houses. It’s something else when you can recall the diverse cast at major, influential shows, such as Calvin Klein or Marc Jacobs.”
Over half of the models on Marc Jacobs’ runway were women of color. Additionally, Tom Ford, Christian Siriano and Tracy Reese also featured very diverse groups of models. Ford featured 65% nonwhite models whereas Siriano cast 47% models of color and Reese featured 54% models of color.
Plus size models also broke a record for the Spring 2018 season. An impressive 90 plus-size models hit the runway this past season albeit the majority of them were for plus size brands.
We’re excited to see this historic season of diversity on the runway and hope the progress continues in the future!