It’s no secret that fashion is an industry based around ‘image’. Models, celebrities and those in the public eye feel the constant strain to attain and possess the ‘perfect’ look and are often singled out or trashed if they don’t. However this pressure also extends to us, the fashion consumer: We are repeatedly influenced by what we see within the pages of fashion magazines and what designers send down the runway; even if we don’t realise it! Following the devastating deaths (caused by malnutrition) of several models over the past few years, many in the industry have begun to take action: Certain designers have banned models who are under a particular BMI from walking in their shows, whilst some fashion editors have even opted for featuring larger or ‘plus size’ girls.
However highlighting and promoting healthier and more realistic body shapes is an issue which requires constant attention and consideration… Something which for the past couple of years fashion commentator, Caryn Franklin, has been campaigning to achieve with the conception of ‘All Walks Beyond The Catwalk;’ an initiative which she founded along with Debra Bourne and Erin O’Connor in 2009. Since then the three women have roped in some of fashions finest photographers, designers and editors to help challenge the industry’s customary and quite frankly out-dated perception of perfection. RECOGNISE caught up with Caryn at the launch of The Alls Walks Centre for Diversity at Graduate Fashion Week to find out more…
When you first set up All Walks Beyond The Catwalk did you dream that you would’ve achieved as much as you have?
To be honest we didn’t start off with any kind of ‘dream,’ we were just so fed up with the limited ideas we thought actually we can’t not say or do something about it anymore. We decided we needed to make presentations at each fashion college, work with students on projects and set up an All Walks Centre of Diversity: That’s just part of one project that we’ve been working on for the last two years and that has taken an enormous amount of work.
Curvaceous models have now appeared within the pages of high fashion magazine including V, Elle, Harpers Bazaar and most recently Italian Vogue. Do you feel that it is the reputable fashion editors that have the power to make a change within the industry and influence what we as the fashion consumer perceive to be the perfect ‘fashion body’?
Absolutely: Fashion editors have more power than they know. Women receive fashion journalism and imagery into their lives as if it were a prescriptive ideal. Anna Wintour could change things overnight if she wanted to by putting beauty and body diversity on her agenda.
A recent report from doctors in Italy stated that featuring larger or ‘plus size’ models on the catwalk or inside the pages of fashion publications actually do more harm than good as they supposedly encourage obesity and binge eating – what are your views on this?
I’m just so tempted to say that this is rubbish! These aren’t ‘plus’ size models; they are ordinary women with healthy bodies. I’d be very interested to know how this study was done and how it was validated. Ben Barry a PhD Cambridge graduate from the Judge Business School will be releasing his research this September: For the last 3 years he’s been doing cross-cultural studies of 3,000 women over America, Canada and England around their response to models that represent a more achievable beauty. The only people that look like catwalk models are catwalk models; every other female does not. So when consumers were given more realistic and diverse models to relate to there was more intention to purchase. What Ben is doing is providing fashion companies (who, lets face it, are only in it to make money) with a confirmation that ‘route to profit,’ will not be threatened if they feature and provide for a diverse range of body shapes.
Do you find the term ‘plus size’ in it self has negative connotations?
We [All Walks] don’t use the term ‘plus size’ - it’s the fashion industry who say’s they’re large or extra in relation to standard models. The term immediately says to ordinary women ‘you’re too big for us!’
Your project, ‘Snapped’ was a great success and you managed to get a lot of influential designers and fashion industry experts involved: I’m intrigued to know if there was any designer whom you asked to get involved and they said no?
Not one that we asked to be involved said no. There was only one who said ‘I would absolutely love to do it but unfortunately my business is just not set up for that extra challenge quite yet.’ And everyone else we’ve approached from Rankin and Nick Knight to Elle and i-D said yes. That says it all doesn’t it!
Tell me more about your most recent initiative that encourages fashion students to consider different body sizes and shapes during their training?
We realised most students only train on a tailor’s dummy, which is a UK size 8 to 10 then they transfer their designs to a model who is paid to mimic a tailors dummy. The tailor’s dummy and the model both only hold one position and of course one cannot give any feedback whilst the other is paid to remain silent... So wouldn’t it be better at some point in their training to give students the chance to engage with an ordinary woman by putting the design on her body and get some helpful feedback? We know from projects that have already been done that the human connection is strengthened. Students start to understand their garments are not just meant for catwalk display.
You’re a patron for BEAT (which supports those with eating disorders) – how is the charity involved with All Walks Beyond The Catwalk?
The first All Walks project was inspired by the charity’s Chief Executive, Susan Ringwood, who asked us if it was possible to show fashion on a range of body shapes. What I have discovered from my work with BEAT is that it would not be effective for us [All Walks] to approach the fashion industry with a hardcore message of eating disorders and self harm; people just don’t respond well and become defensive. We realised we needed to go into the fashion industry celebrating the positive power of fashion to talk to women about their bodies. We were adamant that ethnicity and age were also portrayed in a diverse way. BEAT stepped down after the first project but we continued on our own taking our next project with Rankin to the National Portrait Gallery, collaborating with colleges and setting up the Centre of Diversity.
Caryn, Debra and the All Walks team are currently visiting fashion colleges throughout the UK encouraging the designers of the future to broaden the beauty and body ideals that fashion promotes.
Please visit allwalks.org for more info.
Interview extract from RECOGNISE, issue 9 - words & interview: ME
Images - styling: ME //photography: CAT HARBOUR
