Vogue Business
I'm not, however, through with the fashion dichotomy that's unfolding in my exploration of winter 2023/2024’s trends. In a season which, by all accounts, is being applauded for accurately representing women and their needs, why is the industry ignoring a significant number of us in the process? Research carried out by Vogue Business found that, of 9137 looks across 219 shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris, just 0.6% were plus-size (UK 16+), and 3.8% were mid-size (UK 10 to 14). This means 95.6% of looks presented for winter 2023 were in sizes UK 4 to 8. Why is this the case? Some are blaming the trends themselves—much of the '90s and '00s looks that are currently resonating were first born in a thin cultural peak, and life as we know it is imitating that once more. I say let's speak the truth: The luxury fashion industry still has a problem with non-straight bodies, and any progress it has made to be more inclusive has regressed. In recent years, the body-positivity movement has continued to gain momentum and is an agenda-setting topic on social media, so why is it that so many brands are unwilling to embrace it? For this, I don't have the answer, but I can direct your attention to the brands that were body-positivity allies this season and whose shows I saw myself represented in—Karoline Vitto, Sinéad O'Dwyer, Ester Manas, Christian Siriano, Collina Strada and Di Petsa.