The Women of the Fall 2017 Runways Were More Diverse Than Ever
After five weeks, four cities, and hundreds of shows, the Fall 2017 fashion season has come to a close. The collections brought in some welcome excitement (led most notably by Raf Simons at Calvin Klein), some truly unforgettable sets (Chanel’s space station, Miu Miu’s purple shag carpets, Marc Jacobs’ empty Park Armory), and, of course, plenty of new fashion trends to take us through the upcoming season. Perhaps the best trend of all, however, was not the clothing itself, but rather the models wearing it. Across New York, London, Milan, and Paris, designers employed a diverse cast of models that went beyond the archetypal runway type. This season marked the first time every single show in New York featured at least one model of color, with six of the top ten most-booked models of the city being a minority. Jacobs cast transgender models in his show, while Tome, Creatures of the Wind, and Simone Rocha, among others, included women over the age of 70 in their shows. Plus-size models appeared on a range of runways, including H&M Studio, Prabal Gurung, and, most notably, Ashley Graham at Michael Kors, and new Insta It Girl was born with Halima Aden, the Somali-Americans born in a Kenyan refugee camp, who walked the runways at Yeezy, Alberta Ferretti, and Max Mara wearing her hijab. Here, in honor of International Women’s Day, a look back at some of the best, non-Jenner or Hadid model moments of the season.
Jan de Villeneuve at Simone Rocha Fall 2017 show during London Fashion Week.
Benedetta Barzini at the Antonio Marras Fall 2017 show during Milan Fashion Week.
Vivienne Westwood walks in her own show during Paris Fashion Week.
A model backstage at the Antonio Marras Fal 2017 show during Milan Fashion Week.
Collier Schorr backstage at the Eckhaus Latta Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
Marie Sophie Wilson at the Simone Rocha Fall 2017 show during London Fashion Week.
Cristina Morozzi at the Antonio Marras Fall 2017 show during Milan Fashion Week.
Cecilia Chancellor at the Simone Rocha Fall 2017 show during London Fashion Week.
Martina Ferrera backstage at the Dries Van Noten Fall 2017 show during Paris Fashion Week.
Amber Valletta backstage at the Dries Van Noten Fall 2017 show during Paris Fashion Week.
Halima Aden backstage at the Alberta Ferretti show during Milan Fashion Week.
Ashley Graham at the Michael Kors Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
Sandra Bernhard and models at the J.Crew Fall 2017 presentation during New York Fashion Week.
Juliette Branker at the Creatures of the Wind Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
Halima Aden at the Max Mara Fall 2017 show during Milan Fashion Week.
A model walks the runway at the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2017 show during Milan Fashion Week.
Kitty Spencer at the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2017 show during Milan Fashion Week.
Avie Acosta at the Marc Jacobs Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
Dara at the Marc Jacobs Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
Stav Strashko at the Marc Jacobs Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
Denise Bidot at the Chromat Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
Sabina Karlsson at the Chromat Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
Debra Shaw at the Dries Van Noten Fall 2017 show during Paris Fashion Week.
Yasmin Warsame at the Dries Van Noten Fall 2017 show during Paris Fashion Week.
Stella Duval at the H&M Studio Fall 2017 show during Paris Fashion Week.
Kate Syme at the H&M Studio Fall 2017 show during Paris Fashion Week.
Georgia Pratt at the Tome Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
Jacky O’Shaughnessy at the Tome Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
Precious Lee at the Christian Siriano Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
Marquita Pring at the Prabal Gurung Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
Candice Huffine at the Prabal Gurung Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week.
