What in the World Is fashion turning its back on body inclusivity?
Jan 1, 2026
Imogen James, a reporter with keen insights into fashion and body positivity, teams up with Norwegian model Karoline Bjornelykke, who has navigated the challenges of modeling at both straight and curve sizes. They delve into the troubling resurgence of skinny models in fashion despite the body positivity movement. Karoline shares her personal struggles with dieting pressures, while Imogen discusses alarming trends in runway diversity. They explore the impact of social media and weight-loss drugs, questioning whether this skinny trend will persist and advocating for greater diversity.
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Runway Bodies Don’t Represent Most Women
- Fashion models are typically UK sizes 4–8 and about 5'9", while the average UK woman is size 16 and 5'3".
- Imogen James says this height and size gap makes runway bodies unrepresentative and unattainable.
Representation On Runways Has Fallen Sharply
- Vogue Business found 97.1% of looks in Spring/Summer 2026 shows were straight size, with under 1% plus size.
- Imogen James highlights a sharp drop in mid- and plus-size representation compared with previous seasons.
Model Forced Into Dieting During Early Career
- Karoline Bjornelykke recounts being put on a strict diet and weighed twice daily while working in Tokyo at 18.
- She stopped and returned later as a curve model after losing her period from being too thin.