Fake breasts at Duran Lantink and conical bras at Miu Miu; cinched waists at Givenchy, Ludovic de Saint Sernin and Isabel Marant; exaggerated hips at Marine Serre, Bally, Comme des Garçons and McQueen. Brands presented an array of curve-enhancing silhouettes at their Autumn/Winter 2025 shows, but there was a noticeable drop in the number of curvy models.
Against the backdrop of Ozempic and a shift to more conservative ideals, the Vogue Business size inclusivity report showed another decline in the representation of mid and plus-size models across New York, London, Milan and Paris this season. Of the 8,703 looks presented across 198 shows and presentations, 97.7 per cent were straight-size (US 0-4), 2 per cent were mid-size (US 6-12) and 0.3 per cent were plus-size (US 14+).
Plus-size representation dropped from an already low 0.8 per cent last season, while mid-size representation is down from 4.3 per cent.
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Anastasia Vartanian, fashion content creator and writer who runs a popular commentary and meme account on Instagram, started to notice the exaggerated curves trend during the SS24 couture season, at shows including Maison Margiela and Schiaparelli. Her recent column for Polyester Magazine, ‘Curves Are In, Curvy Girls Are Out’, examined the contrast between the ubiquity of curvy silhouettes (which are design signatures for some brands) and the backtrack of size inclusivity on the runway. It’s easier for brands to construct curves with design elements than it is to cast a curvy model, she says. “Those curves are easier to control, because you don’t have to worry about a bigger belly or bigger hips or thighs. Everything goes in and out exactly where it’s supposed to,” Vartanian says. “It’s about desirability or what kind of bigger body is palatable.”
Some showgoers were critical of Duran Lantink’s breast plate. “Only the women’s chest plate was comically produced similarly to a sexy toy whereas the typically male piece was very generic. It was confronting and embarrassing and made me feel like my peers are also laughing at me behind my back for having breasts that jiggle and move in this same way,” says stylist and fashion commentator Kim Russell, who attended the show in Paris. “After the show is done, the male model gets to take off these ridiculous silicone breasts and the rest of us have to navigate through a society that thinks we are a joke.”
Duran Lantink did not respond to Vogue Business’s requests for comment. According to a press release for the AW25 collection, the intention with the prosthetic body parts was to present the models as action figures. “I love the idea of women as action figures,” Lantink said in the press release. “I think everyone should feel empowered to create their own identity and not feel restricted by anything.”
The trend of manufactured curves and larger silhouettes alongside the body inclusion rollback is reminiscent of fat suit psychology — a theatrical costume that can be put on or taken off — says Dan Hastings-Narayanin, deputy foresight editor at strategic foresight agency The Future Laboratory. “On the runway, exaggerated silhouettes mimic volume and curves, but only as theatrical spectacles, not as a reflection of real body diversity. It reinforces the idea that a fat body is something performative — something to wear, experiment with, but never truly embody,” he says. “This trend isn’t about body inclusivity — it’s about control, about deciding where curves are acceptable and where they aren’t. The current fashion moment is using volume as a costume while erasing actual fat bodies from the runway.”
Declines across the big four
As with previous seasons, Vogue Business analysed every runway show and presentation featured on Vogue Runway from the official New York, London, Milan and Paris schedules to calculate the proportion of total looks that are straight, mid and plus-size. Brands were contacted to allow them to verify the data and informed that if they did not respond, the initial figures collected by Vogue Business would be used. Sizing ranges were determined based on typical sample sizes for straight sizing and established definitions of mid and plus-size.
Across 198 shows, only 12 brands included any plus-size models (five brands in New York, five in London and two in Paris). Among the mid-size models who walked the runways this season, the same two or three faces appeared across shows — often as the only non-straight-size model.
No plus-size model featured in any show across Milan Fashion Week. In Milan, 0.9 per cent of looks were mid-size (last season 1.7 per cent of looks were modelled by mid-size talent, while 0.3 per cent were on plus-size). Marco Rambaldi topped the list for Milan with 11.1 per cent mid-size looks.
In Paris, 1 per cent of looks were presented on mid-size models compared with 2 per cent last season, and just 0.1 per cent on plus-size models compared with 0.7 per cent last season. Xuly.Bët topped the list with 17.6 per cent mid-size looks, followed by Ottolinger. Sarah Burton’s debut at Givenchy featured mid-size models, and Hermès was the only brand in Paris to include a plus-size model on the runway; notably, both of these brands are led by female designers.
In New York, mid and plus-size representation dipped from 6 per cent last season to 4 per cent for AW25. Bach Mai and Willy Chavarria, who made the top 10 for NYFW last season, did not show this fashion week. Jane Wade and Collina Strada ranked first and second, respectively, with around a quarter of their casts made up of either plus or mid-size models.
London remained the most size inclusive out of the big four, but even still, mid and plus-size representation almost halved, from 13 per cent last season to 7 per cent this season. Karoline Vitto — who is known for her inclusive size range and topped the London ranks last season — did not show, opting instead for a showroom concept. Sinéad O’Dwyer, Chopova Lowena and Di Petsa, who typically cast with size diversity in mind, led the way this season.
The Ozempic effect continues
The rise of conservative ideals has emphasised the notion of control, particularly when it comes to women’s bodies. “These trends aren’t just about health or aesthetics; they reflect a deeper societal push towards restraint, discipline and control over one’s body,” says Hastings-Narayanin. “When women’s rights are restricted, there’s often a corresponding pressure to embody an ideal that is not only physically controlled but also hyper-feminine and submissive to male desire.”
It’s well documented how the rise of Ozempic has impacted beauty standards, too, but cultural theorists say the rising accessibility of GLP-1 drugs may have led to the rise in manufactured curves. “Rapid weight loss without strength training leads to muscle atrophy, sagging skin and a frail appearance. The wealthy will have access to the best trainers, treatments and surgeries to prevent these side effects. They’ll maintain just the right amount of muscle tone, avoid looking ‘sickly’ and undergo the necessary interventions to ensure their thinness appears effortless,” says Hastings-Narayanin. “Even if thinness itself becomes more accessible, aspirational thinness — with youthful, tight skin and sculpted curves in just the right places — will remain the domain of the elite. The beauty standard will always stay just out of reach, requiring ongoing investment to maintain.”
“Ozempic is slimming people down, stripping people of their curves, then fashion adds them back with corsets and padding,” says Vartanian.
Real change will require designers and those in decision-making positions to galvanise around the cause. “The system is still the same, nothing structural has changed, that’s why I think size inclusivity doesn’t seem to stick on the runway,” says London’s Sinéad O’Dwyer. “There needs to be a collective desire for this to change if the industry will ever shift and I’m not sure there is amongst those with the power.”
With additional reporting by Lucy Maguire, data collection by Alyshea Wharton and Madeleine Schulz and data analysis by Emily Forkan.
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