The BBC reported from New York this week at the New York Fashion Week where, for the first time ever, there will be a runway during fashion week featuring plus size women. Reporter Laura Trevelyan interviewed the plus size catwalk organizer Nancy Le Winter.
Nancy Le Winter is director of OneStopPlus [site: www.onestopplus.com], the online plus size fashion retailer.
Nancy Le Winter believes that the plus size catwalk at New York fashion week shows democracy at its best. Finally, two thirds of women in America will be represented by plus size models.
Plus size women have been excluded from fashion shows in the past because of the zero sizes due to the misconception about what inspires women, but plus size women cannot identify with zero models. Finally this is being addressed with the plus size catwalk at New York fashion week.
Some people believe that promoting plus size fashion on the plus size catwalk is not a good thing as it encourages women to be large. However, Nancy Le Winter believes the plus size catwalk is about promoting a positive body image; about feeling good about ourselves and empowering women.
Nancy Le Winter believes there is a need for plus size fashion across Middle America. The plus size catwalk brings curves to the catwalk such as breasts and hips, which is something she would rather see than a skinny model. It is about celebrating women.
Nancy Le Winter also believes that the plus size industry is an economic reality. With 62% of woman wearing plus sizes the plus size industry is needed and will continue. It is not just a trend. Fashion needs to speak to all women and women of every size have a right to be trendy.
“It’s about empowerment. There has been a mistaken notion as to what inspires women – a size two woman may be inspired by a size zero model, but a size 12, 14, 18 woman won’t be. We would like to see something we can identify with on the runway.”
Read the whole interview on the BBC site and find out about one of the plus size models, Lizzie Miller.
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