This Campaign Demands Size Inclusivity Because "An XL Does Not Make You a Diverse Brand"

Published on Nov 25, 2020 at 12:10 PM

The Unplug Collective is a website launched in 2019 by Amanda Taylor, a Jamaican student who recognized the importance of creating a community for Black women to discuss body discrimination and mental health. The site is a place for healing, for original stories to be told, and for education, which is achieved through telling the experiences of Black women and gender-expansive people. The Unplug Collective should be your next follow on Instagram, if you haven't reached for your phone already.

"Fat women are tastemakers too . . . Look at the revolutions we have started & sustained. Our ingenious has lined your pockets, and yet you give us little in return."

Now, the platform, which is run by a team of Black college students, has launched a #DearFashionIndustry campaign, that demands more from designers and simultaneously introduces followers to small brands that are inclusive through the clothes worn in the photo series. Enter curve models Ireanna, Taylor Long, and Gess Pugh, who modeled Long's own swimwear brand Nomads (sizes S-4X) for the empowering shoot, where each woman was also asked to write an open letter to the industry about the frustrating lack of representation, and what it means for full figured women who are fashionable and expressive — a huge majority of women being excluded.

"Fat women are tastemakers too. Think of the innovation & creativity we must possess to beautifully & effortlessly express ourselves — our art — through fashion, with the scraps you give us. Look at the revolutions we have started & sustained. Our ingenious has lined your pockets, and yet you give us little in return," Pugh began her message.

"Dear Fashion Industry," Ireanna said. "From your local fat Black plus model, I am bigger than a 1XL. My fupa, rolls, and cellulite are not going anywhere. Stop making me squeeze into your clothing. Expand your brand. Expand your sizes. Be inclusive for real. An XL does not make you a diverse brand, does not make you inclusive, does not give you a plus-sized range," she noted, while also calling out the fact that many companies that claim to be size inclusive do not use plus-size models in images that they define as plus-size campaigns.

Ahead, read all three letters in full, and admire Long's Nomads swimwear in gorgeous shades of coral. And, if you haven't yet, help spread the message with us by sharing this post and demanding that the industry do better.

Ireanna For Unplug's #DearFashionIndustry Campaign

"Dear Fashion Industry,
From your local fat black plus model, I am bigger than a 1XL. My fupa, rolls, and cellulite are not going anywhere. Stop making me squeeze into your clothing. Expand your brand. Expand your sizes. Be inclusive for real. An XL does not make you a diverse brand, does not make you inclusive, does not give you a plus-sized range.

With not having clothes made for us, it removes that chance to find who you are. You want us to settle for the baggy clothes that hide our bodies and I'm here to call you on your bullshit and say do better. We want to be trendy and stylish like everyone else. We are just as beautiful as everyone else. Our size doesn't define our beauty or worth. Also......

PSA: USE REAL PLUS WOMEN FOR PLUS CAMPAIGNS
If you continue to only show that a plus size woman should look like a Coke bottle with no rolls no cellulite no dimples-it doesnt show a full representation of the plus size community. We come in all shapes and sizes."

Ireanna For Unplug's #DearFashionIndustry Campaign

Taylor Long For Unplug's #DearFashionIndustry Campaign

"Dear Fashion Industry, I hope that one day, you and your designers will realize that offering inclusive sizing does not diminish your designs, aesthetic, or your brand. In fact, it actually enhances your design, brand, and overall skill as a designer. I also hope that you realize that designing inclusively is important and necessary and not only that, but it's the right thing to do. Everyone deserves to have access to the same style of clothing— no matter their size."

Taylor Long For Unplug's #DearFashionIndustry Campaign

Gess Pugh For Unplug's #DearFashionIndustry Campaign

"Dear Fashion Industry,

Fat women are tastemakers too. Think of the innovation & creativity we must possess to beautifully & effortlessly express ourselves— our art — through fashion, with the scraps you give us. Look at the revolutions we have started & sustained. Our ingenious has lined your pockets, and yet you give us little in return.

Our cries for influence, inclusion & true impact are met with flippant tokenism & the same tired tropes of what it means to be fashionably fat. I, for one, am tired. Tired of the gate keeping; the hoarding of power; asking for access, and certainly of the lazy marketing efforts your out-of-touch teams think are appropriate for women that look like me.

Give me aesthetic, give me art, give me luxury, give me an experience. Better yet, give me a budget & I'll create that for you."