42 and 44, these are the most common sizes in Spain, as explained by the Association of Clothing and Fashion Companies of the Community of Madrid. However, the history of the fashion industry has outlined a parallel reality in which the vast majority of women have not been able to see themselves represented.

Unfortunately, the world of fashion has been one of the biggest allies of fatphobia. Labels have defined by tradition and it was not until recently that the wind of change blew, of an evolution that embraces beauty in all its expressions, without stigmatization.

One of the essential ingredients of this change is body positivea movement that fights against imposed beauty canons, manifests their negative consequences and puts on stage all those wonderful bodies that have felt marginalized at some point.

Leading this change, in the fashion industry we can see pioneers such as Ashley Graham, Lorena Durán or Paloma Elsesser, that pave the way for thousands of models that are yet to come. Among the most notable is the name of Jill Kortlevewhich has resonated especially in recent years.

She was born in Holland and began taking her first steps in modeling with The Movement Models agency, founded by a friend of hers in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, in an interview for Harper’s Bazaar, she explains that at first she also made the mistake of trying to lose weight to conform to the unhealthy canons of beauty and be able to belong to the world of fashion. He confirms that his mental health suffered the consequences.

Her modeling career skyrocketed when designer Sarah Burton wanted her to be one of the protagonists of her spring-summer 2019 collection for Alexander McQueen. Since then, 5 Vogue covers and brands such as Fendi, Jacquemus, Max Mara have been added to her extensive history… In short, she is one of the most in-demand models in the industry.

In addition to changing the history of fashion, it has also transformed that of one of the most important brands in the world: She was the first model to walk for Chanel that went outside the usual sizes of the fashion model. house. From the hand of Virgine Viard, successor of Karl Lagerfeld (with whom, by the way, she differs on this issue).

The fashion industry, like society, insists on categorizing under a label. “In between” It is the name given to models like Jill, that is, in the middle on the “standard” size scale.

“What is normal? For some it will be a size 36, for others it will be a 46… When they tell me that I am normal I think about how other people may feel rejected believing that they are not. I don’t like being an example of normality“says Jill in an interview for VOGUE.

Adding to this idea is Ashley Graham, who condemns the “plus size” model label, since it divides by size when in reality they are all models, without extra qualifiers. And, on top of this, all of them are first and foremost women.

The truth is that the Change beats tradition and the fruits of evolution are notable. This diversity on the catwalks is not only reduced to different bodies, but also to age and race.

“Many brands are increasingly betting on models timeless (ripe). Even models that no longer hide their wrinkles or gray hair. In Spain we have a wonderful reference with Pino Montes de Oca,” he explains. Anna Cabestany, head agent from the Wild Mgmt modeling agency.

The world of fashion is finally betting on a more real beauty, gradually becoming a less regulatory industry, which serves as a tool to drive change. In order to achieve a industry in which we all have a place: “We must have references that are inclusive and that all women can feel identified, not only in terms of size, but also in age and race,” adds Cabestany.

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