Size Inclusive Lingerie - A New Entrant to the Business of Diversity

Image: Elle via New York Fashion Week. Getty Images. Albert Urso. Savage X Fenty Fall/Winter 2018 - Runway

Rihanna is bringing diversity into the core of her product strategy, be it Fenty Beauty or Savage x Fenty, she has been pretty consistent in bringing color and size to the forefront of inclusion! 

Rihanna launched her diverse makeup line, Fenty Beauty not so long ago. This was a great example of how the diversity of purpose can lead to the success of any product. The Fenty Beauty line includes 40 shades of foundation to accommodate women of different complexions all over the world. The diversity in its product range is the most noteworthy attribute, obviously, the quality of the product in addition to being launched by Rihanna adds to Fenty Beauty's credibility. Many other beauty brands since then have launched deeper foundation shades. 

This is the power of authenticity when you rise by lifting others. The other noteworthy aspect of this product range is cruelty-free, meaning it has not been tested on animals. Now with the launch of Savage x Fenty lingerie show at New York Fashion Week FW18, Riri sends a clear message that empowered brands, empower their customer by not generalizing, but by valuing their differences. 

On the contrary, anything that's done for the sake of gimmickry is easily visible. Some brands have been caught in the fire for being too stupid while merely pretending to be committed to diversity. There has been a controversy about how dark-skinned palms are being photoshopped to align to a certain color code.

    "Black people do not have black palms, guys!"

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This isn't a one-off attempt to racial insensitivity, otherwise, I wouldn't bring it up. The Internet is rife with such lousy attempts. Most recently seen in a campaign run by a cosmetics company.

This largely happens due to the lack of awareness on challenges of diversity and the absolute ignorant way of how such campaigns are run, I feel it is disingenuous. Just like a glorious tick box exercise!

But, there has been a gradual shift to diversity wherein brands are increasingly doing something worth paying attention to, that has a profound sense of purpose! 

I recall the hoo-ha created when celebs like Madonna (Interview magazine); Kate Moss(Vogue Italia spread shot by Peter Lindbergh); Beyoncé's leaked L’Oréal cosmetics campaign with clearly visible uneven skin tone; Cindy Crawford's much-debated stretch marks via Marie Claire Mexico..to countless images of the recent covers of acceptance across social media in celebrating cellulite, body diversity to the moviedom's adaption of real beauty, real woman and beautiful from the inside-out, world over that I have proudly covered in the recent posts - The notion of beauty, objectifying beauty and its complexities are changing and reveling in this fact that flaws, imperfections, wrinkles, cellulite, scars, skin color, and body shape... anything that's perceived to be unconventional and not "fitting" in the fashion world.. is actually, perfectly normal!

 - Amit Anand