A plus-size model starring in a plus-size fashion campaign is to be expected. A plus-size model in a non-plus-size fashion campaign, a little less so (though, thanks to the recent movement propelled by mass-market brands and select designers, that may become the norm sooner than we think). But a plus-size model in a beauty campaign? That’s a development so recent it’s overhauled the industry in a very short amount of time.
"Casting non-straight-size models—as in any model over a size 0, 2, or 4—for beauty campaigns is something we started to see come through only in the last six months,” says Amanda Brennan, a model agent at boutique curve agency Natural Model Management. “In the past I would submit my girls for consideration because of the simple fact that they’re beautiful, but now I’m getting casting notices from Sephora and Ulta specifically asking for plus. It’s cool to see because they don’t have to do it—their business isn’t dependent on size—so it speaks a lot to how much things are changing.”
It shouldn't be surprising to see a more accurate reflection of society in campaigns—after all, the average American woman is a size 16. And yet, in the beauty space, where movements to be more inclusive around varied skin tones, abilities, genders, and ages exploded this year, size feels like the final frontier. The brands that are leading the way, though, are the ones that are winning. They're defying the norm and redefining what it means to be beautiful. Sephora just released its most diverse campaign yet, which stars its store employees instead of models. And Ulta has been strategically partnering with brands that prioritize diversity, like Julep. "Mary Dillon, the CEO of Ulta, and I share a passion for empowering women,” says Jane Park, CEO and founder of Julep. "Showcasing real women across America is core to the Julep brand and Ulta has cheered us on every step of the way."
It's not just the major beauty giants either. In this year alone we've seen millennial-favorite Glossier tap plus model Paloma Elsesser to help launch its body care line, L'Oréal rolled out its True Match foundation campaign featuring Marquita Pring, drugstore fixture Wet ‘n’ Wild recruited Alessandra Garcia to star in its “Generation of Wild” campaign alongside Corinne Fox and Ireland Baldwin, the cofounder of It Cosmetics Jamie Kern Lima gave a viral speech that challenged the status quo, and Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty nearly broke the Internet for its inclusive line that featured not only curvy models but also a variety of women of color to represent the brand’s 40-shade foundation range. Other shout-out-worthy brands include: Milk Makeup, MAC Cosmetics, Kylie Cosmetics, Smashbox, Urban Decay, and ASOS Face + Body.
“It’s a part of our overall DNA as a brand to be inclusive and to understand that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes,” says Evelyn Wang, the senior VP of Wet ‘n’ Wild. “In terms of size specifically, we feature people of all shapes and sizes in our social media regularly, but as for actual models, that really started this year with Alessandra [Garcia].” And that’s just the beginning for the brand. Wet ‘n’ Wild is gearing up for an epic roll-out of a new national campaign called #BreakingBeauty next year. It will not only celebrate diversity but also give a platform to five women—a plus model who’s also an Olympic-level weight lifter, an Asian American indie artist, an activist and cancer survivor, a model with albinism, and a transgender model—to tell their stories and inspire others.
And Milk Makeup, the cool-girl beauty arm of the creative media company Milk, has been unique in its exceptionally diverse, unconventional casting and messaging since its inception last year. “Representing the spectrum of self-expression is instinctual for us,” says Georgie Greville, creative director and cofounder of Milk Makeup. “Influencers and the transparency of the Internet has really brought awareness to the fact that plus-curvy women have been left out of the conversation for too long. I am glad brands are taking initiative to make changes in the industry. We must all be more representative of how diverse the world truly is."
OK, all well and good, but we have to ask: Why hasn’t it happened earlier? Or at least gained this much traction much earlier? This shift struck the industry swiftly and suddenly and even though it didn’t come as much of a shock, it did prompt the question: What took so long? It’s a sentiment Nicolette Mason, plus-size fashion blogger and influencer, attributes to an outdated, top-down definition of beauty. “Our standards for so long have been enforced through campaigns that were setting only one type of beauty," she says. "There’s a lot of old-guard exclusivity that’s been in the fashion and beauty worlds—standards that were set by people who were in power, and it looked pretty homogenous for a long time.”
But while the demand for size inclusivity has disrupted both industries for the better, the effect feels much greater with beauty—mainly because, in fashion, a curve model is still that, a model, with her above-average height and ideal proportions. (And we all know, bodies come in all shapes and sizes—not just hourglass figures.) The difference with beauty is the lack of body politics and, more important, its accessibility. "Everybody has a face, everybody wants makeup, so everybody should be represented when it comes to any product," says Marquita Pring, who in her 12 years of experience as a curve model landed her first beauty campaign—L'Oréal's True Match Foundation—this year. "I had done tests here and there in the hopes the beauty industry would be open, but it never actually clicked. I can't tell you why it's taken so long, but it was by far, the most exciting, incredible experience for me."
From the business side, Wang offers an explanation as to why the industry’s been so slow on the uptake: “It’s the fear of doing something differently. What if you do it and no one responds? It’s happening now because there’s been a buildup in demand from consumers who don’t want to see something unattainable or unrelatable. And the brands that are brave enough to do it are getting the acknowledgement and positive responses on social media.”
Social media, as you probably suspected, has been a reckoning force in pushing the issue along. Like with fashion campaigns, it’s a way for people to voice their concerns and be heard. And brands are finally—finally—using that feedback to rethink antiquated marketing strategies. Those that are being more inclusive are reaping the rewards, both in consumer feedback and in sales. Fenty Beauty is one shining example of just that—its foundation shades (specifically the medium-to-darker shades) are continuing to sell out in Sephora stores and online. For Wet ‘n’ Wild, Wang claims there are too many variables to determine whether casting Garcia directly impacted sales, but “we’re having our strongest year ever—we’re up almost 14 percent in sales year to date, so we’re one of the fastest growing brands in the category. Diversity is a part of the fabric of our country, and I can only think it has to be good for businesses to reflect that.” And the brands that aren’t? “They’re getting backlash for it,” says Sammy Scharg, assistant manager for public relations at Julep.
That means, for the first time, consumers hold all the power, from dictating what products they want to see to who they want represented. “I want to support brands who are being more inclusive—we have an opportunity as consumers to vote with our wallets,” Mason says. “I’ve also stopped shopping from brands that aren’t inclusive in their messaging. It’s a really big turnoff for me—to see brands using their platforms to reinforce the old idea of beauty that’s only aligned with being light-skinned and having Western features, especially in our political climate. It’s just so important to validate people in all their forms, for people to see a reflection of our world."
Pring, too, stands by brands that are committed to being more inclusive: "If it's not a diverse company, then I have no interest in trying your products, especially as a woman of color—I need to know I'm going to have options."
Diverse, yes, but brands have to be authentic about it too, which begins with casting—as in, casting more than one plus model in a campaign. Plus-size model Brianna Marquez, who is one of the five featured in Wet ‘n’ Wild’s #BreakingBeauty campaign, says tokenism is still a major problem. For her, “it sticks out like a sore thumb” when she’s cast as the only curvy model in a beauty campaign with a dozen people. It’s why the Julep foundation campaign she starred in, which featured more than one curvy model out of 18, and Wet 'n' Wild's #BreakingBeauty campaign (where she was given a platform to share her journey to becoming a weight lifter) both really resonated with her. “Brands are trying, there’s a shift happening, but we’re not quite there yet. We will be when it’s more equal.”
Still. That shouldn't undercut the tremendous strides of progress that have taken place. “I can’t remember a time where I saw a plus-size model in a beauty campaign,” Marquez says. “It makes me feel good for younger girls who are growing up now because that’s something I never saw or felt good about. I grew up with shame surrounding my body, but if I saw more women who looked like me in campaigns, everything would have been different.”
Mason shares the same feeling. "There was so much about myself that I just felt like wasn’t good enough and that definitely affected my self-esteem," she explains. "I hope that by having more visibility, more access to visual language and vocabulary around different types of beauty, it can empower our next generation to feel better about themselves.”
At this moment, size inclusivity—and diversity in general—in beauty is trending upward, but it's still not the norm. At least not yet, anyway.
"The industry is completely different from when I started 12 years ago, and in a really great way. We've come so far, but 100 percent, progress still needs to be made," Pring says. "I want to reach a point where it's the norm, when you can walk outside and see an advertisement that reflects our country, our world—and we don't think anything of it. There are still companies that are resisting the movement, but I won't be satisfied until we can stop having these conversations and have inclusivity across the board."
