Social and Psychological Aspects

Perceptions Toward Female Fashion Model Size Diversity in Luxury Brand Runways

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Abstract

Runwaymodels have been maintaining skinny bodies due to unpredictability and theuncertainty of the market (Mears, 2010). Recently, the fashion modelingindustry has been experiencing changes, including hiring plus-size models forluxury brand runways (Cichowski, 2019). Therefore, the present study collectedcomments from YouTube videos showing luxury brand runways. The researchexamined people’s responses to the sizes of models on luxury brand runways andtheir reactions toward plus-size models. Using YouTube as a social mediaplatform, the qualitative study was conducted to understand the female models'size differences and identify followed comments as viewers’ responses in tworunways from the same luxury brand. The research found that people tended torespond positively and frequently toward sizes of models in luxury brandrunways when the size diversity was clearly visible on runways. Also, thedegree of emotional engagement in comments was different in the two videos. 

Keywords: Plus-size models, perception, ideal body, YouTube, luxury brand, Plus-size model

How to Cite:

Yang, Y. & Baytar, F., (2022) “Perceptions Toward Female Fashion Model Size Diversity in Luxury Brand Runways”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13816