This week,
H&M featured plus size model Jennie Runk wearing the new swimsuit collection on its homepage, seamlessly integrating her presence with that of her other, rail-thin counterparts.While it’s no longer unheard of to see plus-size models in fashion shoots and spreads — three even appeared on the June 2011 cover of Vogue Italia — it is often done in a very loud, “we’re trying to make a message” way.
Even in Vogue Italia, the models only made the cover when posed seductively (and symbolically) over big bowls of pasta. Rather than appearing side-by-side with “straight size” models sans fuss, plus-size models usually appear in the “curvy” or “love your body” issue or special spread. Furthermore, American Apparel’s “Next Big Thing” plus-size model contest was a testament to the flippant puns often associated with, as the retailer put it, “booty-ful” models with “full-size fannies.”
Runk is no longer on H&M’s homepage, just the beachwear section. Websites need to stay fresh with new content. Now, voluptuous post-baby spokesperson Beyonce has centre stage on the site. This normalization of a more substantial —normal — bodies shows a potential shift in the fashion world.
But it is a long, controversy-laden road with plus-size segregation, difficulties breaking into couture, and even stylists quitting over a designer’s decision to use plus-size models in runway shows.
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