SmartGlamour’s #AllMeansAll campaign puts trans models in the spotlight, and it’s about time
The fashion industry is notoriously exclusive. It’s no secret that plus-size women struggle to find clothes that fit their curves, and shoppers are often hard-pressed to find models that look like them. However, renegade clothing line, SmartGlamour, promises to offer clothing for everyone, and they mean everyone. On January 10th the Queens-based brand revamped their website to exclusively feature trans and gender non-conforming models. This is part of the inclusive, affordable, and ethical brand’s #AllMeansAll campaign which vows to feature underrepresented and marginalized identities throughout 2017. Good timing, eh?
In the past year, the fashion and beauty industries have made some strides in improving trans visibility. Diesel featured two trans models in a recent ad campaign and many transgender and gender-fluid models strutted the catwalk in 2016’s NYFW. However, SmartGlamour’s commitment to representing a diverse group of models is seriously something special.
A brand that shines a light
On a recent blog post the brand’s founder, Mallory Dunn, wrote:
All truly means All; whether that all is demonstrated by gender identity, age, ethnicity, or ability – or a cross section of these characteristics. This is what we have been showing since day one, with our models, but now we’ll be shining and even brighter light on it.
Joy. Joy. Joy. That's what these photos evoke for me. As much as possible, I try not to direct my models' expressions....
Posted by SmartGlamour on Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Dunn also makes sure to clarify that their goals are all about inclusivity and not exploitation. She writes:
We never want our models to feel as if they are being exploited for their differences. However – especially in this current political climate – we feel it is our responsibility to highlight those who are marginalized.
We need this now more than ever
While the fashion industry has made progress in representing diverse models and customers, they still have a long way to go. According to Bustle, based on the Spring 2017 fashion shows only 23.35 percent of the models in those shows are nonwhite, and even worse, less than 1 percent of the models were transgender or plus-size. With statistics like those, SmartGlamour’s ardent dedication to making clothes in a wide range of sizes and representing models of marginalized groups is all the more revolutionary.
SmartGlamour has always been a strong proponent for accurate representation of bodies in the media. From our...
Posted by SmartGlamour on Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Widespread violence against the trans community and normalized micro-aggressions indicate that we really do have a long way to go. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 90 percent of transgender-identifying people report harassment in the workplace. While it doesn’t solve all our problems (we wish it could) SmartGlamour is doing its part to celebrate this marginalized group, and we’re so glad.
From the looks of SmartGlamour’s Facebook album showcasing the gender-inclusive photoshoot, all of the models were feeling themselves and looking amazing. Who doesn’t want to sashay and shanté for the camera?
