Fashion weeks happen all around the world during the month of February, so that designers can debut collections for the fall/winter season of that year. Many of the trends that came off the New York, London, Milan, and Paris runways received applause from the fashion industry. But even with all the beautiful clothes and stunning trends, fashion month was not without its disappointments. The main complaints came from the lack of body diversity and sustainability.

New York Fashion Week in particular had very few plus-size models, something that was rampantly discussed given that no one quite expected this large shift back to less inclusive examples of body diversity. This wasn’t the standard for all shows. In the case of Thom Browne’s collection, Precious Lee closed out the show, and other designers such as Christian Siriano, Carolina Herrera, and Prabal Gurung also had plus-sized models walk. Many came to the conclusion that this lack of size diversity is a result of the obsession with Y2K fashion. Many of that era’s trends intentionally excluded larger bodies. Instead of seeking to create more inclusive versions of these styles in a new decade, it seems that designers have chosen to continue to promote thinness as the epitome of fashion.

The increase in plus-size models on the runway did feel like a PR move at times, but at least it was happening. For the spring shows this last fall, 49 plus-sized models walked in multiple shows.  This season? There were 31 models walking. Not to steep of a decline, but considering that 4,000 models walked in New York Fashion Week this year and only 31 of the women presenting the clothes had a body that most women could relate to seems like a bigger issue. In London, a record number of 71 out of the 2,640 models were considered by the industry to be “plus-sized.” Still not great, but it’s something. 

Alongside the ebbing of body diversity, the strides in sustainability that were made during the pandemic flattened with only Copenhagen remaining a stronghold. Sustainability has long been an issue in the fashion industry, with large amounts of waste coming directly from fashion month. The runway presentation of a single designer can take six to eight months to coordinate and will emit large amounts of waste. Aside from the trash that can be produced during fashion week, the carbon emissions from international travel surely leaves its mark on the environment.

Copenhagen was the only fashion week where, as a whole, the designers worked to incorporate sustainable practices into their design techniques. Part of this is because the organizers of Copenhagen Fashion Week set sustainability standards based on the U.N’s sustainable development goals that must be met in order for designers to be allowed to present during the fashion week shows. While this would fail to incorporate the waste produced in travel, it does cut down on waste during product development. 

This standard is something that I hope to see more of in all of the different fashion capitals, particularly since there was heavy coverage this season on the lack of sustainable practices and the inclusion of different body types. Hopefully, this opens up the conversation more, allowing for all voices to be heard, and we’ll see the change during September’s fashion weeks.