The Ever-Evolving Diversity Debate

HIJAB-CLAD HALIMA ADEN, 73-YEAR-OLD BENEDETTA BARZINI, SIZE-14 ASHLEY GRAHAM—THESE ARE THE WOMEN WHO RULED THE F/W 2017-18 RUNWAYS AND HELPED FASHION SHOWS BREAK INCLUSIVITY RECORDS. BUT WILL IT LAST? KENYA HUNT SCRUTINISES THE NUMBERS AND TALKS TO THE WHISTLE-BLOWERS

An unfamiliar face set the room alight at the Max Mara show in Milan in February. On a runway populated by supermodels old and new—Natasha Poly, Gigi Hadid, Isabeli Fontana—it was the Somali-American former Miss Minnesota USA pageant contestant Halima Aden, in a hijab, who sparked fervent chatter on the front row.

The level of buzz was surprising, considering Aden, 19, had only ever appeared on two runways: her debut at Kanye West’s Yeezy show earlier that month, during New York Fashion Week, and at the Alberta Ferretti show soon after. But she had become a talking point during the F/W 2017-18 shows, a season that, according to website The Fashion Spot, was the most inclusive on record.

“Aden’s appearance created a buzz for all the right reasons,” says Ian Griffiths, creative director of Max Mara. “When our customers see diversity in the models we work with, it’s easy for them to identify with the collections. Max Mara has a tradition of making real clothes for real women. We wanted to celebrate that by making our runway reflect our reality. If you were to take a stroll down New Bond Street, Avenue Montaigne or any other top-end shopping street, it would be no surprise to see a Max Mara coat worn with a hijab.”