One small step.
It’s safe to say it has been a slow and sometimes stop/start crawl to some level of diversity within the fashion industry. Some brands have adopted an inclusive range of body sizes while others continue with the industry standard sample size. And then there’s that inaccurate Photoshopping issue that surfaces about once a month.
Now, however it seems the industry may have taken another step forward with British fashion company Missguided introducing a new range of mannequins with unique skin features across two of their stores.
Each mannequin includes aspects of a real-life woman’s body including Vitiligo (a skin condition brought to the spotlight by famed model Winnie Harlow), stretch marks and freckles. Skin tones and pigment levels also change allowing for a more diverse representation with one mannequin even wearing a hijab.
In a statement released to media, Missguided said they want to inspire self-love amongst their shoppers. “Be yourself, be confident in your own skin, celebrate your flaws. Take risks and own it and f@#k being perfect,” is the message they hope to convey.
Reactions to the new mannequins have varied with some Twitter users celebrating Missguided’s attempt at diversity while others point out that they are still missing a range of figures.
Said it once and I’ll say it a million times but I absolutely 💗 @Missguided 👏🏻 showing life isn’t like an Instagram post #nobodysperfect #flaws #MAKEYOURMARK https://t.co/qQxrvCg1yt
— Laura Wohlgemuth (@LauraWohlgemuth) February 20, 2018
ACTUALLY LOVE THIS!! @Missguided setting the example for women all over the world and our daughters 👐🏼 https://t.co/zdChoajhvm
— cherelle 💕 (@cherellecarla) February 22, 2018
great to see missguided have got mannequins with freckles, stretchmarks etc but how about some which aren’t a size 0 now pic.twitter.com/e9cvfKYrF7
— India (@IndiaBenjamin) February 21, 2018
@Missguided show me some mannequins with a hook nose, or thin lips, or a pear shaped, plus size body with cellulite that doesn’t look like cute painted on tattoos and then we can talk about you being considered body positive.
— YOUNG🔥REY (@MariaFancyPants) February 21, 2018
So yes, while the fashion industry does still have a long way to go in terms of diversity and body type representation, Missguided’s mannequins can still be considered progress.
To see Missguided’s full range of mannequins, scroll through the gallery below:
