Models Of All Sizes Don Lingerie To Transform Times Square Into Body Confident Catwalk

Victoria’s Secret Fashion show is a well-known one and it is famous among many people. However, the show is happening year after year. There is a thing was particularly absent from the show: body diversity.

 

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Ok .. sharing these last ones for today !!!! Way more to come tomorrow. First pic is me surrounded with the real cat walk show openers and closers ??? .#therealcatwalk veterans @seanasteele and @couvertier_louis both doing the show for the 3rd time. They strut it when it was 7 of us.. later with 34 of us and now over 200 more of us! This LOVE we are expressing is contagious !!! Every one of us is on our individual path of self love and self expression, and I am happy that this platform that we collectively created serves as a safe space and home for us to just be, celebRate our being. Yesterday’s real catwalk was opened by @iamjarijones , whom I kept running into over #nyfw months and who impressed me with her beautiful kind energy !!! —- special thanks to two incredible people behind the scenes @kristyn.elyse and @dyacyk ( of course many of of you amazing souls I will continue to list ) for putting so much work into making this happen! Also thank you @norahlovesmakeup_mua for my makeup , I usually look like a hot mess that didn’t sleep for days planning the event !!! PAhhh u saved me!!! Thank you @swimsuitsforall for giving me your swimsuit and @ellosusa for the red jacket !!! And @pacificabeauty for sending gifts to our models !!! Im so thankful and can’t wait to share more of the images with you (these pics are from @hollygotgrace ) !!!! #togetherwestrut #timessquare #models #together#onelove#people#onefamily#oneworld#bikini#show#fashionshow#loveyou#loveeachother#kindness l#inclusivity #therealcatwalk #catwalk (help me TAG the models PLEASE by typing in CAPITAL to T A G then if I missed anyone you know )

A post shared by KhrystyAna (@khrystyana) on Dec 2, 2018 at 1:58pm PST

According to an interview with Vogue, Ed Razek, the chief marketing officer of L Brands stated where he shot down the idea of transgender of plus-size models ever adorning Victoria’s Secret catwalk.

“No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is. It is the only one of its kind in the world, and any other fashion brand in the world would take it in a minute, including the competitors that are carping at us.”

Rightfully so, plus-size models like Khrystyana Kazakova were not thrilled to hear the industry leader’s thoughts on inclusive casting. Kazakova told New York Post, “I was talking with my friends like, ‘Oh my gosh, it makes me feel horrible.’ A lot of people feel unattractive after watching it.”

Due to that, the former “America’s Next Top Model” contestant decided to stage a guerrilla-style fashion show, where there are women of all ages, sizes, and genders were invited to walk down Times Square as a response to the lingerie event.

“I know that there are people flying from Italy, London, Melbourne, and Canada,” Kazakova shared.

 

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#therealcatwalk when : 12pm SAT Dec 1,2018 (we will go live on my IG) / guests arrive 11.45AM/ volunteers between 11AM -11.30AM to help our wonderful artists to set up the space for this flash mob pop up show. We will need your help to create a runway space for our brave super inspiring muses to strut and show off their amazing selves for you! Your cheers will be welcomed . Some of our models haven’t shown their bodies during summer beach times for years, so they are doing something incredibly unique and brave for Their self love journeys ! Some are flying in from Italy, London , Canada, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado, Texas, Connecticut and more . These people are here to tell you THEIR message and reasons why they are doing it ! Your welcoming love and smiles for ALL of our models is much appreciated! The Real Catwalk takes place on broadway/7th ave between 43rd-44th streets (same as seen on this photo). Our official hashtags for those planning to post about the event are : #therealcatwalk and #TogetherWeStrut . Our official sponsors are (thank you !!!!) : @womanwithin @swimsuitsforall @roamans @kingsizedirect who will help as many as possible models to get cute linegrie or bikini (it’s over 120 of confirmed models now and the numbers are growing ). It is NOT mandatory to wear lingerie : we will have people walk in beautiful hijab or a coat or cover up of the choice! Are you guys ready? People of Earth, are you ready for true diversity in the media to match up with the real life ? I personally am. Let’s go. – love you , KhrystyAna – #onelove#togetherwestrut#change#inclusivity#freeFBBstuff#selflove#people#runway photo @aceofny_

A post shared by KhrystyAna (@khrystyana) on Nov 23, 2018 at 9:54am PST

Even with the unfriendly temperatures in New York, more than 200 women of all backgrounds walked in the show and they were wearing Swimsuits for all and Woman Within.

“It is in no way anti-Victoria’s Secret,” Kazakova said in a statement to The Independent, “it was just a way to support women who may not feel catered to. New York is ready for the change and the chance to embrace all kinds of beauty.”

The objective of the show was to create entertainment, inclusive event that supports even a small margin of people to feel happier in their own skin. For Kazakova, “body positivity is not just about being curvy, it’s about being yourself. It doesn’t matter if you are curvy, petite, trans, athletic, over 40, over 50, it’s just about knowing you are beautiful.”

Chamalee Kapukotuwa

I am a Business Management graduate from the University Of Staffordshire (UK) and a qualified personnel officer who completed the National Diploma of Training and Human Resource development at Institute of Personnel Management (Sri-Lanka).

Apart from my professional career in the field of HRM, I am also a freelance writer of web and business contents.