Fashion Nova Is In Hot Water For Using Straight-Size Models To Sell Its Plus-Size Line
By Gillian Fuller. Photos: Courtesy of Instagram, Brand.
Fast-fashion brand Fashion Nova is in hot water after an Instagram influencer called out the retailer for using straight-size women to model its plus-size line, Yahoo! Style reports. Ironically, until recently, the brand was celebrated amongst curvy and plus-size women for its commitment to inclusivity and body-positivity..
The controversy began last week after plus-size model Tabira Majors called out the California-based brand in an Instagram post, writing, "@FashionNovaCurve, why do you use size 2 models to represent your plus size line? #questionsthatneedanswers."
Majors's post quickly got the attention of her more than 213,000 followers. As of today, it’s been liked more than 14,000 times. Additionally, hundreds of Instagram users commented on the post, and called for a boycott of the trendy brand.
One user wrote: "Wondered the same thing. Exactly why I didn’t and won’t order anything [from Fashion Nova]."
Another claimed to have reached out to Fashion Nova, and says she was told the photos on the brand's site would be replaced soon, presumably, with pictures featuring actual plus-size models. However, a scroll through the plus-size section of Fashion Nova's site shows little, if anything, has changed. Most of the photos still feature small, straight-size models, while those depicting larger models still aren’t representative of what real plus-size bodies look like. The photos for the brand’s high-waisted skinny jeans, for example, show a model with a curvy butt and thighs, but a minuscule, 20-something inch waist.
Those defending the social media-saavy brand pointed out that Fashion Nova extended sizes are relatively new, and its Instagram feed is diverse in its depiction of different sizes and body types. Though Instagram is crucial to Fashion Nova's success — the brand's marketing strategy is almost entirely dependent upon social media stars like Kylie Jenner — it doesn’t seem to be enough for the majority of shoppers, who feel that excluding plus-size bodies from the brand's plus-size page is unforgivable.
We've reached out to Fashion Nova for a comment and will update this story when we hear back.
This story originally appeared on Allure.
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