Tokenism or True Representation?

Examining Disability in the Fashion Industry

by Emily Massey

For generations, the modelling industry has been an exclusive club, reserving its doors for a specific archetype: the tall, slim, typically Caucasian woman of able mind and body. This was the era of the supermodels, the late 1980s and early 1990s when diversity was a foreign concept.While society began to embrace the body positivity movement following its founding in the ’60s, this progression did not truly enter the modelling industry until the late ’90s with the plus-size model Emme. Still, the naming of Emme as one of People magazine’s 50 most beautiful people didn’t act as the catalyst within the industry that you’d expect, having to wait another decade before plus-size model Ashley Graham was featured on the cover of Vogue.

The modelling industry, rooted in a history of body shaming and exclusivity, has been slow to change. However, in the last two decades, significant strides have been made, and this once-exclusive group has started diversifying. This diversification is most visible following the British Vogue “Reframing Fashion” issues. This special edition of British Vogue featured five different covers, each featuring an influential disabled change-maker as the face of the magazine. The issues also internally featured a range of influential models, including a model with Down syndrome, wheelchair users, amputees, and even blind persons. The Vogue issues were indeed the beginning of making fashion not only inclusive and representative of all persons but the making of fashion accessible - with the issue being made available online in Braille and audio. We are finally seeing more inclusive representation: people of colour, various body shapes and sizes, heights, sexual orientation, and ability. Though long overdue, these changes are a beacon of hope for a more inclusive future.

While disabled models have finally been given a moment in the spotlight, featuring in high-fashion campaigns, Vogue issues, international fashion weeks, and more, this representation is still not proportionate to the number of disabled individuals in society. This underrepresentation is a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done.

In a 2023 article for the Guardian, Claudia Rose Walder highlighted this disproportionality, stating: “Despite (disabled individuals) representing 24% of the population, models with visible disabilities feature in only 0.02% of fashion campaigns.” This discrepancy is not just a number; it's a reality that results in millions of people feeling out of place and underrepresented, as they cannot view people in advertising who look like them. The representation of this marginalised group is vital. However, it appears that brands are currently celebrating visibly disabled individuals for personal gain and press recognition—prioritising being seen to represent disabled models over the greater importance of equal opportunity. This tokenism not only undermines the progress made but also perpetuates the feeling of exclusion within the disabled community. This begs the question: Are disabled models being used as tokens to fulfil a diversity requirement, and if so, does it matter if the disabled community is getting recognition?

Regarding brand inclusion, the suggested requirements are diverse ethnicities and cultures, sizes, genders, ages, disability inclusion, and LGBTQ+ representation. When selecting models, brands not only select individuals who identify as any of these subsections but also a person who visibly embodies the diversity they are ‘meant to represent’. This selection process transforms inclusion into tokenising individuals and neglecting those who don’t fit the aesthetic of what their marginalised community should look like.

In the British Vogue, Reframing Fashion, 2023 publication - Ellie Goldstein, a model with Down syndrome, said:

“The world needs to see more models with Down syndrome. We need to be seen and represented. We are the same as everyone else.”

Goldstein is correct, but this representation shouldn’t be limited to just Down syndrome; it should include all disabilities. As representation of the disabled community is still a rarity, achieving recognition is the priority. We must selectively ignore tokenism behaviour that may or may not be present within the industry and celebrate the fashion community's progression towards disabled visibility. This dilemma persists, weighing the importance of morals versus recognition. While the goal is to exist in a community where ableism was indeed abolished, and disabled models of all backgrounds (visibly disabled, hidden disabilities, mental disabilities, etc.) are represented, we are still a long way off from this coming into existence. The urgency of genuine representation cannot be overstated, and it's crucial that we continue to push for it.