Interestingly this week at uni, as a year group we have been asked to write an article for our own fashion magazine which will be published by the university. We have been given the title ‘Fashion and Identity’ and the rest is up to us to choose what topic we wish to talk about. I instantly knew that I wanted to write about diversity after my internship with ‘All Walks beyond the Catwalk’ as I feel that my experience gave me the knowledge to write an interesting article. Out of interest, I asked around my classmates to see what they had chosen as their topic and unexpectedly the majority wanted to discuss diversity. To me this seems like a real breakthrough as young women my age are now wanting to discuss diversity in way which portrays a positive body image, which is favoured over the waif like model figures that we have been linked to thinking is our ideal body shape in the past. I truly believe the impact of models like Hayley Morley and Crystal Renn taking to the runway and showing a curvy, healthier body image has really resonated with my generation and is starting to change our attitudes to diversity. Even educational talks such as the one that co-founder Caryn Franklin gave at the university triggered my peers into thinking about body image in a different way. This shows the potential impact that ‘All Walks’ could have if more educational institutions changed their curriculum to involve diversity. There has definitely been a change in attitude, I only hope it’s here to stay.
Reported by Claire Milne