Even before New York Fashion Week began, there was good reason to expect that this would be the most diverse yet. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) sent a letter to all CFDA members before NYFW that included "racial diversity pointers provided by the Diversity Coalition." That being said, racial diversity was actually lower than Spring Fashion Week — despite the racial inclusivity of two major designers.
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For women of color, finding clothing that match their skin tone is no easy task. In April 2015, Christian Louboutin recognized this issue by releasing an inclusive collection of nude shoes, debuting five different shades to represent the diversity of the women. Now, the designer has added two new colors to the collection. This is not the first company to bring forward the idea that nude is not a color.
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My Muse Dolls, a company that launched in September 2015, aims to do something other doll companies aren't: starting a conversation about ambition and global cultures at a young age, with dolls that reflect that worldview. The best part? They are completely customizable on the website, with awesome diverse options.
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Stephanie Smith-Strickland grew up attending a school where she was the only person of color in most of her classes. She still feels the sting of frequent moments of sensitivity, which came when classmates would be subtly and overtly prejudice. This is why it's so gratifying for her to see Michelle Obama using her platform to start a conversation surrounding the very issues that caused her grief as a child.
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Four bloggers of all different shapes and sizes came together for a collaborative photo series entitled "Lingerie is for Everyone to Enjoy." The photo shoot was in direct response to the lingerie ads we typically see that have a lack of diversity. Recently, however, more and more brands have been breaking the lingerie mold.
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Singer Brandy Norwood got the internet all kinds of hyped last week when she posted an Instagram picture of Barbie Brandy. The brainchild of photographer/digital artist Tyren Red, Barbie Brandy first landed on Instagram in October 2015. This is far from the first doll created to directly address Barbie’s diversity issue.
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Underwear brand Björn Borg lauched their new inclusive line of nude undies on International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The six shades for the underwear were chosen based off of the Fitzpatrick Scale, a skin classification developed in 1975. This isn’t the first time we've seen an inclusive nude collection from a lingerie brand.
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Lawrence's first encounter with cosplay came in 2001 when Lawrence met Jessica Walsh, her now partner, who introduced Lawrence to her first cosplay convention. It wasn't until two years later that Lawrence became costumed participant, despite fears of not fitting in. A gentle pep talk from a friend finally encouraged Lawrence to tamp down her reservations and go for it and she learned a very important lesson along the way.
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At Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday, Swedish megaretailer H&M staged a runway show with a wide array of models, including ones who are plus size, transgender, a variety of races and ethnicities and even ages. That sort of diversity is what critics have been calling on most high-end designers to do for years. But what makes H&M's show matter in particular is the brand’s accessibility.
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