UK plus size fashion retailer Evans kicked off UK Plus Size Fashion Week in London on Thursday (9/3/15) with their #StyleHasNoStyle campaign being showcased with live models in their Marble Arch store window as well as walking down Oxford Street, wearing t-shirts displaying the campaign name.
The campaign, aimed towards celebrating plus size women and diversity, has received mixed reviews. Some feel it’s a great thing because a campaign such as this will garner media attention and further push the message of body diversity in the media. However, some felt Evans came up short when choosing a diverse group of models to use for the campaign. Many cited that the models all looked the same size and did not celebrate diversity at all.
One blogger, Stephanie of the blog Nerd About Town, decided to take matters into her own hands by re-creating the campaign, using plus size women of varying sizes/heights including herself. As she said on her blog:
“Now I don’t know about anyone else, but as a plus size lady who loves fashion, I certainly do NOT feel represented. The whole point of the campaign is to celebrate diversity, yet absolutely nothing in this photo embodies it.”
“The photo essentially says to me, ‘style has no size, but you have to be tall, no bigger than a size 16, white and slender in the face’. Don’t get me wrong, these models are absolutely stunning, however if you’re going to be gung-ho about a subject that is close to a lot of people’s hearts, it would well be worth using people who actually REPRESENTED your hashtag.”
The five ladies took their own picture in front of Evans‘ Marble Arch store and it has been spreading throughout social media like wildfire.
Stephanie also let Evans know how she felt about their campaign, comparing their image of the models in their campaign versus the women in her image:
“See the diversity within the sizes, heights, body shapes and ethnicities? THIS is how you do it, Evans. THIS is all we’ve ever wanted; to see people who look like us represented within the media. Why has this always been too much to ask? Because there is no excuse for it. Absolutely none.”
Bloggers Rad Fat Feminist, Lolly Likes Fatshion, Just Me Leah and others have also been very vocal about how they feel about Evans #StyleHasNoSize campaign and how it lacks body diversity.
The conversation about body diversity is one that continues to be had and that’s a great thing. It’s evident that both sides have the right intentions so we shall see what outcome will emerge from this.
What do you think about Evans #StyleHasNoSize campaign? Leave us a comment below and let us know.