As Vogue Business states, we’re seeing the erasure of real women’s bodies in current times in fashion.
The Data
Image Credits: Vogue Business
The report revealed a sharp decline of body representation across the last season’s runways. The report revealed 97% of looks portraying straight-size models (US 0-4).
Mid-size representation was at 2%, with plus-size models accounting for just 0.3% of looks across major fashion weeks. This is a record low for the industry in terms of body inclusivity across global stages.
Industry Feedback
Casting directors describe the current moment as a regression, where diverse bodies are not just underrepresented, but actively disappearing from fashion’s narrative.
Industry insiders emphasize that the inclusivity push of the early 2020s felt performative and wasn’t a real structural industry shift.
The data signals a cultural shift toward extreme thinness, only adding to systematic barriers for inclusivity. This is not seen as a plus-size talent issue, but rather can be caused by sample size limitations, production costs, and resistance from major luxury houses themselves to participate in body inclusivity.
Smaller, emerging designers show more willingness to cast inclusively, but industry standards are often dictated by the scale and visibility of major luxury houses.
When diversity did appear on the runway, it was often minimal with one or two models per show reinforcing the idea that inclusivity is being used as a visual gesture rather than a core value.
The report highlights a major disconnect with real women falling within mid to plus size ranges. Seeing runways overwhelmingly exclude them is not only cultural failure, but a missed commercial opportunity for brands.
With runway shows now widely accessible via livestream and social media, their impact expands beyond the industry and shapes global perceptions of beauty and body image more than ever.
New York Fashion Week FW26 Size Inclusivity
Image & Data Credits: Vogue Business
At New York Fashion Week, 97.7% of looks were straight-size, 1.9% of looks were mid-size (a decrease of 1.5% from last season), and 0.4% plus-size (as compared to 1% the season prior). Christian Siriano and Kim Shui were the only two brands to include plus-size models on the runway, with the remaining brands ranking for their castings of mid-size models.
Milan Fashion Week FW26 Size Inclusivity
Image & Data Credits: Vogue Business
Milan Fashion Week runways were made up of 97.3% straight size models, 2.6% mid-size models, and a mere 0.1% of plus-size models.
The season prior, 0.7% of looks were mid-size with 0.2% of plus-size looks, showing a small increase in representation.
Paris Fashion Week FW26 Size Inclusivity
Image & Data Credits: Vogue Business
Ranking the lowest among the global fashion capitals, with only 9 of 65 brands representing any plus or mid-size models on the runway.
99.5% of looks were straight size, 0.4% were mid-size, with only 0.1% accounting for plus-size representation. It's a significant decline from last season, where 1.5% of models were mid-size, and 0.6% were plus-size.
London Fashion Week FW26 Size Inclusivity
Image & Data Credits: Vogue Business
London ranks the highest as the most size inclusive fashion week of the season. Karoline Vitto in top place brought incredible progression in body inclusivity on the runway, with 74% mid-size models and 13% plus-size models.
92.7% of looks were straight size, 6.5% were mid-size, and 0.8% were plus-size. Last season, 6.5% of looks were mid-size and 2.8% were plus-size.
View Vogue's FW26 Size Inclusivity Report
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