This is exactly how many plus size models walked during fashion month

“We would love for you to attend our fashion month show.”

Me: “Are you providing dressing options?”

“Nothing in your size, sadly, but we do have these really fun earrings!”

In 2019, this was a common conversation I had with many London Fashion Week shows. It became rather tedious and honestly quite offensive.

For many years, as a plus-size woman, I'd been made to feel grateful to even be invited to these fashion month shows because, quite frankly, I didn’t have the acceptable ‘fashion-worthy body’ that's so prevalent in the fashion industry – even though I had nearly a decade’s worth of high-end fashion editorials, billboards, beauty campaigns and articles under my name. My size was definitely still an issue. Plus-size models were definitely still an issue.

So, for the last three years I have been recording how many curve or plus-size models walk down the runway across the four main fashion weeks, and looking into whether any social trends or headlines have been able to alter and manipulate the numbers across the board dramatically. Let's look at this past fashion month's credentials…

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

The rise of the Ozempic trend in the US is still hanging around, three years since its first popularity – and it was quite apparent that the impact of this trend alongside the return of archaic phrases such as ‘heroin chic’ and ‘skinny is back’ hugely altered the messaging at NYFW back in 2022. After a lot of backlash, they more than doubled their numbers for curve models to 70 models later in that year, but their numbers have been decreasing ever since – averaging at around 40 models each season in 2024 and this first season of 2025 we’ve seen a 50% drop.

Gone are the days when the US were leaders when it comes to size inclusivity on the runway, so it is a real shame to see the big apple plummet back the past few years. Again in 2025, there was also no male plus-size representation, which is highly disappointing from the city that used to be the forefront of inclusion.

With over 91 designers showing this season and an average of 40 looks per show, there were around 3640 looks on the runways.

23 of them were considered curve or plus.

The designer loyally flying the flag for representation season after season is Christian Siriano, who cast six plus-size girls on his runway this season, less than last season but still the most consistent for us.

Jane Wade had three curve models, whereas Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Coach and Collina Strada had two curve models each, then rest had one singular plus model.

LONDON FASHION WEEK

With over 40 designers showing this season, with an average of 40 looks per show, there were around 1600 looks on the runways.

26 of them were considered curve or plus.

This season we didn’t have Karoline Vitto who always gives us a full curve and plus size show whenever she is gracing our runways with her gorgeous, inclusive pieces, but even without her this month, our numbers are pretty depressing. To go from 80 models to 26 is a 68% reduction in size inclusivity for the city who were becoming the leaders of representation for larger bodies, but that has quickly done a 180.

Sinead O’Dwyer will forever be fighting for inclusion in her work, this season she had 17 curve models in her show. Without her this season we would have been in last place. I can’t believe this is the reality.

Di Petsa had four curve models this season, including the first male plus model of the season James Corbin.

I am concerned for next season for London.

MILAN FASHION WEEK

With over 58 designers showing this season, with an average of 46 looks per show, there were around 2960 looks on the runways.

Just 10 of them were considered curve or plus.

The only reason Milan has ever showed with more than 15 curve models was when Karoline Vitto was there in 2023 for Dolce and Gabbana, with her models counting for 30/45 out of the total numbers for the Italian city.

It is no secret that Milan has never been there for us in regards to the promotion of curve, but I did hope that seeing the impact of Karoline Vitto’s work in 2023 would encourage a little bit more inclusivity for the future – but it has just reversed back to its old tricks.

The designers we’ve seen use curve models in the past are Marco Rambaldi and Rave Review, this season Marco used 50% less curve models than last season and Rave Review had none.

Fendi and Etro also had two curve models.

Disappointing, but not surprising.

PARIS FASHION WEEK

With over 108 designers showing this season, with an average of 45 looks per show, there were around 4860 looks on the runways.

22 of them were considered curve or plus.

This season there was no Ester Manas, who usually has a 60/70% curve representing show ( with 12 curve models last season ). We also had Rick Owens enter the Paris Fashion Week chat last September with 16 plus-size models in his show, I was cautious to not celebrate too much last season as I feared it might be a one off gimmick and this season he had zero curve models, I didn’t want my gut to be right, but once again left very disappointed. Our bigger bodies are not trends or to be used for PR stunts.

So are we supporting the cities with the largest amount of inclusivity or are we supporting the ones who are making the changes, as small as they might seem? Or shall we just go ahead and support the smaller designers who are single handedly fighting for change in our industry and ignore the giants?

Were you surprised by this season's #IncludingTheCurve results? Will London be able to keep the crown of being the leaders when it comes to inclusive fashion on the catwalk ( even though they were down drastically by 68% this season? ) and do Milan care that they are at the bottom consistently?

Personally, I still believe there should be so much more, but the stats I am finding each season with #IncludingTheCurve really show who is championing us, who is leading by example, who is experimenting and who is simply afraid - or even worse, doesn’t care.

Should we be supporting these high-end designers who show little to no representation with a model or two, or demand that they do better?

Or do we stick to hyping up the designers and brands who we know include us always, such as:

• Karoline vitto
• Sinéad O’Dwyer
• Ester Manas
• Di Petsa

…and the ones that aren’t on the runways, but time and time again represent our curvier body shapes:

• Marina Rinaldi
• ASOS Curve
• Never Fully Dressed
• Loud Bodies
• Joanie Clothing
• Kai Collective
• Renee Studio
• Molby The Label

Let's keep up the pressure and keep everything crossed for more progress by the September 2025 shows.

For more from Curve model and author Felicity Hayward, follow her on instagram @felicityhayward.