Urban Outfitters Taps Transgender and Plus-Size Models for Its Latest Empowering Campaign
By Gillian Fuller. Photos: Courtesy of Urban Outfitters, Instagram.
Trendy chain Urban Outfitters is kicking off the new year in style, with a new campaign focused on celebrating individuality.
The campaign, dubbed "The Class of 2017," was launched in collaboration with basics brand Hanes and sportswear company Champion. Instead of professional models, the ads feature a diverse group of sixteen "influencers" (including students, artists, musicians, and writers) of different genders, sizes, and ethnicities. It is, undoubtedly, the brand's most progressive campaign yet.
According to a joint press release, the goal of the campaign is to spread social awareness: Each model involved was chosen because of his and her commitment to "challenging the status quo" through activism. As part of the project, each influencer designed a Hanes T-shirt featuring personal slogans and empowering messages. They will also star in their own short social videos and curate blog posts, showing off their custom made tees and discussing their work.
The project is notable for several reasons. For one, "The Class of 2017" features plus-size model Barbie Ferreria and transgender model Hari Nef, marking a decidedly progressive shift in the brand's identity. Second, it focuses on social issues rather than fashion: In fact, the associated collection's only offerings are Hanes T-shirts and a range of Champion sweats. While the influencers individually offered personal slogans dear to them, the overall statement is pretty loud and clear: Be true to yourself and love one another—an uplifting message we can all get behind.
Last year decidedly marked a shift in fashion's focus on diversity. Retailers like Aerie and Free People invited real women to model in their campaigns, while J.Crew and Christian Siriano enlisted women of all shapes and sizes to showcase their collections at New York Fashion Week. And thanks to Urban Outfitters's latest empowering campaign, we can certainly hope for a continuation of the efforts in 2017.
This story originally appeared on Allure.
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