Christian Siriano's S/S16 collection caused quite the stir in fashion this past week, but bloggers and fashion journalists weren't focused on the clothes. During NYFW16, Siriano's collection was shown using not only tall and thin models, but also women of all shapes, sizes, and colors. He used a total of five plus-size models in his show, and yes, they were just as fabulous and glamorous as any other "common" runway model. Not only was the collection stunning, but it packed a big punch.
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It's no secret that the apparel industry favors tall, lithe, and thin women to strut down the catwalk in the season's newest trends. It's become the norm in fashion, when in reality, the norm is hardly represented at all. According to Rachel Christine of Liftable.com, "the average American woman is 5’4″ tall, and weighs 166 lbs." Clearly, these numbers aren't represented on any fashion week's runway, and it's obvious that the average, everyday woman doesn't have the same representation in apparel. Hopefully Christian Siriano's designs will change this particular mindset of the industry in favor of something more universal.
I would like to make something perfectly clear: I am not writing this article to shame women who are naturally tall and thin; some women are just born that way, and that is one hundred percent okay. We shouldn't body-shame them either because that would completely negate what progress we've made as a society for accepting all body types. What isn't normal is anyone starving themselves to become their own skewed idea of "perfection" or "beautiful."
Siriano, a Project Runway alum, has always been known for being body positive. Recently, he swooped in to save the day to dress the ever-incredible Leslie Jones for one of her Ghostbusters premiers. Jones not only endured senseless racist and body-shaming comments from social media, but she dealt with the unwillingness of high-end designers to dress her for her event due to her body type. Siriano stepped in and created an incredible red gown that celebrated her personality and her naturally beautiful body; Jones was truly the bell of the ball. He has also dressed many fuller-figured celebrities such as Christina Hendricks and Danielle Brooks.
His collection may have been shown during this past NYFW, but Christian Siriano's message will ring true for weeks, months, and hopefully even years. He is our hero because he stands up for women everywhere and reminds us all that every body type is beautiful. His message of acceptance is something we all can take a page from. Hopefully the rest of the fashion industry will take notice.
