Ashley Graham can't stop, won't stop calling out a lack of body diversity in the fashion industry. But specifically, the 29-year-old model recently criticized Fenty for not using curvy models in its show at New York Fashion Week.
"I was at Fenty, and that was an amazing show. But how dope would it have been to see some curves on the runway?" Graham told Yahoo. "I think Baja East would be really cool to have curves on the runway. Philipp Plein would be really cool."
In case you haven't heard (but seriously, who hasn't?), Rihanna has been making waves with her Fenty line. Not only did her Fenty x Puma collection receive praise for being "ethnically diverse and exuberant" at NYFW, but she also recently launched her own beauty line, Fenty Beauty, which features 40 shades of foundation and is selling out everywhere thanks to its inclusiveness for people of all colours.
Rihanna has certainly made a point to be as inclusive as possible with her lines, which is why it's surprising to see a lack of body diversity in her runway show.
In Graham's interview with Yahoo, the curvy model β who prefers that term over plus-size β noted that it's a shame runways don't have more body diversity.
"I think there's some designers who might want to have curves on the runway but haven't figured it out maybe?" she said. "It's funny to me, because I'll look at runways and think, I'd look so great in those clothes or, I know curvy women who would look so great in those clothes."
While NYFW did have plus-size representation this year and even set a record by featuring 27 curvy models on the runway (up from last year's 16), Graham is right that more needs to be done.
Luckily, more plus-size models are speaking out about the importance of representation in the fashion industry and becoming body-positive role models just like Graham. Filipino model Kat Gumabao, who recently walked the runway for plus-size clothing brand Torrid at NYFW, is one of them.
Earlier this year, Gumabao emphasized that being plus-sized simply means you don't fit the criteria of what a traditional model looks like, and doesn't necessarily mean that you're fat.
"It can mean you're just extra tall, or your upper body is bigger, or your hips are bigger. It's just not the normal mold of a fashion body," she said in an interview with ABS-CBN News. "Health comes in different sizes."
Bravo to these women for trying to bring more body representation and awareness to the fashion industry!