Inspiration, for a long time, has stemmed from singular individuals – people we paste on our walls, listen to on computers and champion as trendsetters. Today, however, our inspiration seems to grow from a group; squads of women carving out safe spaces for all of us; tribes fighting for diversity in age, ethnicity and race. We’re beginning to see an undeniable demand for diversity in all industries, and fashion is no different.
Through time, fashion has notoriously praised one physical ideal – the thin, white woman who has, for decades, stared back at us from pages in magazines, billboards and runways; whose wares max out at a size two.
When the average woman in the United States is not a size two nor is represented by mainstream fashion brands, our industry voluntarily loses an opportunity to identify with the majority of its consumers. How do we solve this problem? Enter Straight/Curve Film, a revolutionary fashion documentary that aims to not only embrace plus size fashions, but diversity at large – an inclusive approach that is just what we need in today’s industry climate.
“Straight/Curve is about celebrating women of different sizes, ages and ethnicities and showing the beauty in them all,” notes the film’s Director and Producer, Jenny McQuaile. “We need to see more of this reflected in the fashion industry and media…This is a perfect example of the progressive and inclusive work being done to create clothes for more than one body type, but we still have a way to go. That is where the consumer can stand up and vote with their wallet and their social media.” Indeed, there is a need for platforms to fill the void many women are facing in terms of finding representation through their shopping experience, however, another element in the diversity movement lies within social media and the consumer’s power to choose.
Straight/Curve is not only looking to inspire the general public, but also to prove as deeply meaningful to our industry. Premiering Spring 2017, the documentary lends an ear to models-of-the-moment, though it does so intermittently, as the cast of muses range from supermodels to international up-and-comers. The film is revolutionary for its inclusive nature; never before has a fashion documentary been so willing to paint the full picture with its lens. Editors, stylists, photographers and agents will sit down to peel back the layers of the fashion industry, fueling an inspired generation of future designers looking to create clothes for all people, not just some.
Expect to hear more from McQuaile and the Straight/Curve team soon as we will be following the film and its viral pursuit to permanently change the industry as we know it. In the meantime, how can we broaden our perspective on the future of fashion and diversity’s place within it? According to McQuaile: “Demand more choice, opportunity and representation, and the industry will have to listen and take action.”
All photos provided by Straight Curve.
