The Fashion Spot has released its seasonal runway diversity report, revealing that the fall/winter 17 runways were the most diverse on record (just), but still not brilliant if we’re all being honest with ourselves. Across the big four cities, New York, London, Milan, and Paris, there was a total of 27.9 percent non-white models, back up from the spring/summer 16 low point of 22.4 percent, and a new high beating fall/winter 16’s previous record of 24.7 percent.
As ever, New York came out on top and caught up on most of the dip it suffered last season (30.3 percent for spring/summer 16), getting close to the fall/winter 16 record high (of 31.9 percent — notably helped by Kanye’s huge Yeezy show at Madison Square Garden) with 31.5 percent. For the first time ever, no all-white shows were recorded, and New York also recorded the highest number of trans models on the runway.
All of the European capitals saw improvements, with London showing the greatest improvement, jumping from 23.5 percent for spring/summer 16 to 28.4 percent for fall/winter 17. Paris is in third place with 25.9 percent (up from 24.1 percent last season), and inevitably Milan trails behind with 23.8 percent, though that is still it’s greatest season-on-season improvement, up nearly 3 percent from spring/summer 16.
Of the top 10 runway models, Cong He was the most successful model of color for the season, walking in 42 shows, with Lineisy Montero and Selena Forrest in a tie with (white) artist-turned-model Amanda Googe for tenth place, each walking 37 shows. The most inclusive runways were at Chromat, who cast 77 percent models of color, five trans models, and five plus-size models, followed by Marc Jacobs, who cast 66 percent models of color and three trans models.
Plus-size models made up just 0.43 percent of all models cast, with New York topping the charts with 26 models, Milan and Paris casting two each, and a total of zero in London. London did a little better with older models, with seven models over the age of 50 cast, topping New York and Milan’s six each, and Paris’s two. Transgender models made up only 0.17 percent of all models cast, and all of them walked in New York. The Fashion Spot also notes the breakout of Halima Aden, the first hijab-wearing model to walk major shows, first at Yeezy, and then at Alberta Ferretti and Max Mara in Milan.
See the full stats in The Fashion Spot’s diversity report.
Credits
Text Charlotte Gush