See Photos From H&M’s Diverse Paris Fashion Week Show
Instead of a deluge of young, thin blond women strutting down the catwalk in typical fashion week form, one brand decided to spice up its mix of models in an attempt to appeal to a wide array of women.
Along with showcasing gaucho hats and wide-legged pants, H&M featured one of the most diverse casts of women, with models of color, plus-size models, transgender models, and models over the age of 40 taking the stage.
“H&M is all about diversity, has always been, and this time we wanted to put more focus on that,” Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative director, told Fashionista of last night’s show. “Anybody should be able to enjoy fashion, whatever you are, whatever your looks are.”
The fast-fashion company’s commitment to diversity was evident in the inclusion of familiar faces like Andreja Pejic and Hari Nef, transgender models who have been prominently featured in fashion and beauty campaigns.
Last month’s New York Fashion Week was one the most diverse seasons in recent history, but several brands still selected only one or two people of color to model their clothes and failed to include women of different ages and sizes.
Representing the over-40 crowd, supermodels Amber Valletta, 42, and Pat Cleveland, 65, strutted their stuff.
Ashley Graham, a plus-size model who was most recently featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition, also hit the runway.
H&M didn’t totally forgo the young and thin tradition, sending supermodels like Jourdan Dunn and Andreea Diaconu down the runway. But for the fashion megahouse, these women represent just one of many kinds of beauty.
“This collection is about the strength and beauty of women and how we express that power through our style,” Johansson said in a statement obtained by The FashionSpot.