Trans Models In Fashion: A Passing Trend?

Photo: Rob Rich/WENN 

Many would like to dismiss fashion as a trivial part of culture, and the industry itself as vapid and devoid of any real meaning.

For those of us who pay closer attention, it is evident that fashion is some of the most honest and revealing social commentary of the day. From what is presented on the runways, to what is on the street, one can surmise what the zeitgeist of the times is, or rather what it isn’t. For the past couple of seasons, fashion month has been a discussion on feminism, gender identity, and racial diversity.

Flashback to Chanel’s Spring 2015 Ready To Wear show when models put on a faux feminist protest as a part of the theatrics of the presentation. Now fast forward to present times wherein the Business of Fashion revealed that 79.4 percent of the models on the catwalks during fashion week were white. Unfortunately, this isn’t a huge surprise.

While it’s easy to think of fashion as a liberal and inclusive industry of progressive thinkers, season after season we see the fault in that way of thinking. Although racial diversity and cultural appropriation are the topic of discussion year-round in different roles within the industry, this year gender identity has been pushed to the forefront of the conversation by what some are calling the “Caitlyn Effect.”

Photo: Rob Rich/WENN 

We can’t help but wonder if the inclusion of transwomen and transmen in the fashion world is a passing fad, or a sign of real progress in the industry.

Although we believe only time will tell if what we are seeing is true inclusion or merely tokenism, here are five things that have us hoping that the inclusion of trans men and women will last, and visibility of the community will continue to increase.

The post Trans Models In Fashion: A Passing Trend? appeared first on StyleBlazer.