SAY YES TO DIVERSITY

Apr 14, 2016
2 min read

We are getting older. Statistics say that the kids who are born between 2011 and 2016 are likely to become 10 years older than the people who were born between 1950 and 1956. This fact in combination with the pressure to perform can be logic cause of the changing life phases. Which declares that the old old isn't old anymore. Capiche?!

The fashion industry does capiche that. There is coming more variety in models. The female plus size model is getting more and more accepted (which is still ridiculous, why does it take such long time to accept that women have a normal body?!) and Zach Miko, the first male plus size model has signed his contract at IMG Models in March. But besides size, there also comes more diversity in age! We are getting older, which relatively seen keeps us young, right?! There is an increasing number of Senior Models entering the fashion industry, and I LIKE! The one thing why I never really was in to the fashion media is that it bored me very quickly. When I bought a magazine I basically saw the same photo on each and every page. A young, skinny, pretty girl or handsome guy wearing overpriced (fast)fashion (yes, I pled guilty to fast fashion, no, I don't live as planet fair as I would like to). But what is the point of using the same type of model, for fashion that will be available for millions of different people?!

Zach Miko, first male plus size model

And so, from a marketing point of view I also think it would be an amazing achievement if because of the diversity in models a better reflection of the consuming society can be provided. Because, isn't that essentially what modeling is about? Presenting clothing and other consumer durables in a tempting way so the consumer will buy? And won't this be much more effective if all the consumers can identify themselves with a brand or product representative? I mean, imagine how the sales of swimwear could increase when the younger elderly women see Yasmina Rossi in beautiful bathing suits?!