Diversity in the fashion industry: a panel discussion at the National Museum of Scotland
Sinéad Burke alongside her mannequin, dress and handbag by Christopher Kane, adapted from Spring/Summer 2018 collection © Neil Hanna Photography
Diversity in fashion is a conversation that I’ve been involved in for many years. As a part-time senior lecturer in Fashion Journalism, I contributed to several research projects at university – and I’m delighted to be invited back up to Edinburgh next week for a panel discussion at the National Museum of Scotland. On Thursday 3rd October, fashion experts, educators and activists will gather for an empowering discussion on why it is the fashion industry’s responsibility to increase inclusion and diversity and better reflect society. Chairing the ‘Body Beautiful Round Table’ event is Mal Burkinshaw, Programme Director of Fashion at Edinburgh College of Art and Director of the Diversity Network. Other panellists (as well as yours truly) include the brilliant educator and activist Sinéad Burke, a powerful advocate for reform in the fashion industry, particularly around the representation of disabled people. She is well-known for her TED talk ‘Why Design Should Include Everyone’ (which received over 1.3 million views) and appeared in the September issue of British Vogue as part of the ‘Forces for Change’ line-up. Writing about the responsibility she felt as ‘ the first little person on the cover of Vogue’, Burke explained, ‘We need to be constantly asking whose voices are not in the world, which perspectives are not being considered, and make sure that change occurs with as much intersectionality as possible.’ We’ll be sitting alongside writer and model Jamie Windust, fashion designer Rob Jones of Teatum Jones, artist and womenswear designer Georgina Johnson and model, broadcaster and curator Eunice Olumide.
Photo: Eunice Olumide
The round table is programmed as part of the museum’s current exhibition ‘Body Beautiful: Diversity on the Catwalk’ which is on until 20 October 2019 at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh (admission is free). The exhibition explores themes such as size, gender, age, race and disability and showcases the work of designers championing diversity, including: Jean Paul Gaultier, Max Mara, Ashish, Vivienne Westwood and Pam Hogg.
And the good news is…tickets are still available for the panel event (£7) and can be booked via the link below. Hope to see some of you next week!
Body Beautiful Round Table
Thursday 3rd October
3 Oct 2019
19:00–20:15
Adults £7, Members & Conc.* £6, Students £5
*Over 60s, students with valid NUS or Young Scot card, unemployed with ID, disabled people. Carers of disabled people go free.
Book tickets HERE
Discussion (14 Comments)
Totally agree with everything you’ve mentioned Tonia. Wish this event was on in Newcastle. Would’ve loved to attend – looking forward to the review.
Nicola says:
Well said Mrs Tonia. I also feel that in most forums ‘diversity’ currently only stretches to people of colour and older models who also happen to be tall, slender and beautiful. Everyone deserves to feel fabulous in clothes and have clothes that fit and feel comfortable. Its the old ‘what you can’t see you can’t be’ that excludes so many. Thanks to Alyson for creating a space where these issues can be discussed.
Alex B. says:
I would like to come. It is an important discussion and having just modelled for LFW I have one or two things to say….
Mary Gray, Diversity UK says:
Never in the last twenty years of my working life when I produced a directory of equality experts used by employers all over the UK did we feature people of small size. Shame on me! I’m glad this oversight is now being addressed.
Barbara Doig says:
What beautiful and insightful photographs of Sinead and Eunice. I have just taken my three year old grandson to chose his first glasses frames from lovely colourful and stylish ranges- what a difference from 65 years ago where there was very limited choice of ugly frames. We need to make the same progression in fashion more generally.
Jeanette says:
Sinead looks absolutely gorgeous in the above photo, we all want to look and feel beautiful in our clothes.
Rachel says:
Sinead is one of my favourite people. She is so insightful and has achieved so much. She came to Galway to speak to my daughter’s brownie troupe about feeling free to be yourself, peer pressure and inclusivity. She was just amazing. For fashion folks, her blog is a great read: https://minniemelange.com/
Jane Webb says:
Dear Alison, I’m interested in why you describe yourself as having been a “part time lecturer”? So often women, and it is generally women who work part time, describe themselves as “just part time”. There is no need for the qualification. The number of hours worked isn’t relevant to your thesis or to theirs. Your excellent blog is usually a place where best practice is modelled and so, I suggest, the important point is that you were a lecturer.
Best wishes, JaneThank you, Jane. I think I said it to explain my circumstances, at the time I was lecturing a couple of days a week, working as a freelance journalist and running That’s Not My Age. Next time I will drop the part-time and add Portfolio Career!
Kate says:
I do hope Allyson you share everything you learn. Like others have mentioned , we have made some strides but lots still to do. I still find so many clothing websites stopping their offerings at about an 8/10 US. It’s frustrating. I do wish designers would get on board and design for all body types, tall, short, thick , thin and all in between.
Custom clothing is a luxury that most can’t afford . We need more affordable and well made , quality choices for the average Joes and Joannas. Ditto the comments about the May Musk type representing the older woman etc. Please….. more regular people models all across the board. Designers need to create and show on their websites their clothes on many different shapes and ages. Runway is nothing but a show to me so I don’t give much of a hoot on designers using different models for their runway presentations. I need to see the reality of different bodies in the shopping arena – the clothes offered for sale . I do wish I studied sewing so I could make my own clothing. It’s hard for me as a somewhat straight size 10/12 but I’m tall and built more like a Giant Redwood tree rather than a wispy willow so it’s been an entire lifetime struggling to find clothing that is comfortable for me . Sigh.
I’m rambling but just wanted to join the cause from way across the pond. Wishing all who attend a wonderful conference!!!I’m a UK 14 and 5’9” so able to find my size in most shops but I now notice and support brands that make larger sizes and use larger models. Australian brand Sportscraft show two images of each style on their website – an 8 and (I’m guessing here) an 18 or 20. For me in the middle it’s useful to see both images because I feel that if the larger model looks good in the item so will I. And whilst Boden should be commended for having a wide range of sizes and lengths I do notice they only seem to use very slight models. Following the Boden hashtag in IG gives a much better perspective of how the clothes look on larger women ( often better in my opinion).
maria says:
I am delighted to see the gorgeous Sinéad Burke featured here. She is a proud inspirational woman with a wardrobe to die for. She is currently working on a PhD in Trinity College Dublin.
I echo the comments about not describing yourself as a part-time lecturer. This was pointed out to me in a careers session and was hugely enlightening.
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Thanks for describing in full this interesting event.
Do please follow up with a summary of who said what and the conclusions that were reached. Things are certainly better than they were as we move towards the 2020s.
But no doubt there is a long way to go still. Vogue and other magazines such as Grazia feature many models of colour and varying ethnicities. It’s almost necessary I notice now in the glossy ad campaigns to feature three beautiful young models side by side : a Caucasian with light eyes, an Asian and a woman of colour. But these models including the darker skinned with neatly cropped Afros tend to be extremely tall and very slender of limb. Ditto the older grey haired Maye Musk types.
It will be interesting to find out if the boundaries of diversity and inclusivity really will broaden to embrace the rounder and more normal of build and others too.