Spring 2017 Fashion’s Diversity Report: Progress, Pitfalls, and the Power of Representation
An in-depth look at runway and campaign diversity for Spring 2017, celebrating achievements and examining where improvement is still required.
Spring 2017 Fashion Diversity Report: Progress, Pitfalls, and the Power of Representation
The Spring 2017 season brought both optimism and frustration to the global fashion industry. While designers and casting directors faced increasing media and public pressure to expand representation on runways, a thorough analysis reveals the nuanced results of these efforts. This report synthesizes data from hundreds of runway shows, thousands of model bookings, and key advertising campaigns to outline how far the industry has come—and how much work remains.
Table of Contents
- Overview: Measuring Diversity Across Fashion Capitals
- Encouraging Progress in Racial Diversity
- Most and Least Diverse Runway Shows
- Diversity in Spring 2017 Ad Campaigns
- Body and Age Diversity: Steps and Stagnation
- Gender Identity: Representation of Transgender Models
- Factors Influencing the Diversity Push
- Frequently Asked Questions
Overview: Measuring Diversity Across Fashion Capitals
The Fashion Spot’s Spring 2017 Diversity Report analyzed data from 299 runway shows and 8,832 model appearances across the main fashion capitals—New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Media scrutiny and changing consumer expectations compelled designers to rethink their casting choices, but the results tell a story of incremental change, with marked differences by city and brand.
- New York Fashion Week led the way with the most racially diverse castings.
- Milan Fashion Week lagged behind, reporting the least diversity among the four cities.
- London and Paris fell somewhere in between, each showing modest gains.
For the first time in recent history, 25.35% of models on the runways were models of color. This milestone reflects ongoing calls for change from industry insiders and advocates, as well as shifting demands from a global audience.
Encouraging Progress in Racial Diversity
The 2017 Spring season set a new benchmark for racial diversity, with people of color making up more than a quarter of all model appearances. This marked improvement represents steady progress over previous seasons, responding to criticism from activists, media, and shoppers seeking authentic representation.
Nonetheless, the wider picture remains uneven:
- Designers like Kanye West—a persistent champion of diversity—continued to cast predominately non-white models.
- Zac Posen joined West in spotlighting underrepresented groups, reflecting a growing but uneven movement.
- Some agencies still maintain low percentages of non-white models on their rosters, subtly undermining broader gains.
Most and Least Diverse Runway Shows
While many labels embraced change, others notably resisted. Below is a comparison table summarizing the Spring 2017 season’s leaders and laggards in runway diversity:
| Show/Designer | Percentage of Models of Color | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yeezy (Kanye West) | 97% | The most diverse major runway, with almost total representation of models of color. |
| Kimora Lee Simmons | High | Consistent history of diverse casting. |
| Ashish | High | Known for inclusive lineups and messaging. |
| Brandon Maxwell | High | Featured a rich mix of ethnic backgrounds. |
| Telfar | High | Consistently disruptive, celebrating multidimensional diversity. |
| The Row (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) | 0% | Not a single model of color—most criticized for lack of racial diversity. |
| Junya Watanabe, Mila Schön, Daniela Gregis, Anrealage | 0% | Zero diversity; all-white lineups. |
What others are reading
While the top five most diverse shows set inspirational standards, the continued existence of all-white runways signals that the fashion world’s commitment is far from universal.
Long-term Patterns
- Overall, the trend toward inclusion is positive and ongoing, but tokenism and uneven adoption persist.
- Industry insiders note that true representation must be sustainable and not one-off or performative.
Diversity in Spring 2017 Ad Campaigns
Ad campaigns are the public face of a brand and often lag behind runway progress due to their lasting visibility. Analysis of major Spring 2017 campaigns reveals:
- Zara, Gap, Express and Net-a-Porter each hired 50% models of color.
- Urban Outfitters presented the most intersectional campaign, including plus-size and transgender models alongside models of color.
- Alexander Wang, Stella McCartney, Linda Farrow also embraced 50% diverse casting.
- Theory exceeded the average with 60% models of color.
- Saint Laurent rebounded from a decade of exclusion to cast four out of five women of color in its Spring campaign.
However, top-earning models remained mostly white. Among the seven most-booked models for Spring 2017, only Argentina’s Mica Arganaraz was a model of color, with the rest being white and dominating the largest campaigns.
Tokenism in high-profile campaigns remains a persistent problem, as seen with select brands (Givenchy, Gucci, Victoria’s Secret, Burberry, Hugo Boss) casting only a single model of color in casts of five or more. Nevertheless, Gucci redeemed itself somewhat in its Pre-Fall 2017 campaign by casting a roster entirely comprised of models of color.
Body, Age, and Gender Diversity in Campaigns
- Plus-size model Barbie Ferreira and transgender models Stav Strashko and Hari Nef starred in Urban Outfitters’ “Class of 2017” campaign.
- Brands are beginning—but nowhere near finished—the process of diversifying by size and gender identity.
- Women over 50 and nonmodel influencers featured in a select handful of major campaigns.
Body and Age Diversity: Steps and Stagnation
While the Spring 2017 runways hit a record for racial diversity, wins in body diversity (plus-size, curve, differently abled) and age representation have been far slower, amounting to less than 1 percent of model appearances. The numbers and their impact are detailed below:
- Plus-size models appeared very infrequently, with only a handful walking major shows.
- Women over 50 were represented by just 13 appearances, signaling persistent ageism at the highest levels.
- The prevailing standard remains thin, young, and able-bodied, despite the explicit desire for more inclusive casting by consumers.
Industry Commentary
Fashion experts such as Paula Rosenblum argue that market realities—declining retail performance and rising multicultural buyer power—should motivate brands to cast beyond the old archetypes. However, inertia is evident, with sluggish hiring of older and larger models, especially in luxury sectors.
Gender Identity: Representation of Transgender Models
Representation of transgender models, while increasing slowly, is still rare. For Spring 2017:
- Transgender models were booked only 10 times across all 8,832 runway appearances.
- Major campaigns like Urban Outfitters led the way by giving visibility to prominent transgender figures.
- The intersection of body, race, age, and gender is only just beginning to appear on mainstream platforms.
Despite the advances, genuine intersectionality remains a challenge.
Factors Influencing the Diversity Push
The following factors have created a climate more favorable (if not wholly receptive) to diversity in casting:
- Media Pressure: Journalists and online commentators regularly highlight disparities, compelling official responses and strategic changes.
- Buying Power: “Minorities, multicultural millennials, women over age 50 and those above a size 12” together represent the fastest-growing and most lucrative buyer demographics.
- Political Climate: Heightened public advocacy and activism for inclusion influence brand priorities, especially in western capitals.
- Agency Policies: Agencies play a gatekeeper role; leading agents represent very low percentages of models of color, creating an upstream bottleneck.
Despite improvements, entrenched practices and assumptions at the agency and designer level slow change.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Has racial diversity on runways reached equity?
A: No, while progress is clear (with over a quarter of models now being people of color), many shows and agencies still cast mostly white models, indicating much work remains.
Q: Which shows stood out for inclusion in Spring 2017?
A: Kanye West’s Yeezy, Kimora Lee Simmons, Ashish, Brandon Maxwell, and Telfar were the most diverse, with Yeezy casting 97% models of color.
Q: How did major ad campaigns stack up?
A: Zara, Gap, Express, Net-a-Porter, Alexander Wang, and Stella McCartney each had campaigns with 50% models of color; Urban Outfitters featured the most intersectional cast.
Q: Has progress been made in age and body diversity?
A: Only incremental; plus-size representation remains well under 1 percent, and women over 50 had just 13 appearances total.
Q: Do agencies support diversity?
A: Leading agencies still represent disproportionately few non-white models, which impacts casting at the designer level.
Q: What drives the push for diversity?
A: Media spotlight, shifting consumer demographics, and a challenging retail environment make diversity a practical and moral imperative for brands.
Conclusion: Diversity as a Moving Target
Spring 2017’s diversity report underscores that real progress is possible—and happening—but the path to universal, intersectional inclusion remains marked by setbacks and slow advancement. The interest and advocacy of shoppers, media, and industry leaders show little sign of waning. As the fashion world turns toward future seasons, the lessons of Spring 2017 remind us that representation is a journey, not a destination.
Story by Helin Jung
Follow Helin on Instagram
References
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/a6127093/fashion-spot-diversity-report-spring-2017/
- https://www.thefashionspot.com/runway-news/745891-diversity-report-spring-2017-ad-campaigns/
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/fashion/style/news/a42045/diversity-fashion-week-aw16/
- https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2016/10/126405/fashion-week-models-diversity-report-spring-2017
- https://www.thefashionspot.com/runway-news/717823-diversity-report-spring-2017-runways/
- https://www.bet.com/article/xpvwsh/the-olsens-casted-zero-models-of-color-in-their-show
- https://fashionista.com/2017/12/diversity-fashion-magazine-covers-2017
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