Tess Holliday won’t be giving Victoria’s Secret any of her money.
The model, 33, slammed the lingerie brand and their chief marketing officer for their refusal to use transgender or curvy models in their annual fashion show, and his comments that led to a public outcry and his eventual apology.
In an interview with Vogue, Ed Razek, the chief marketing officer, said that using diverse models would undermine the “fantasy” aspect of the show.
“Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special,” he said. “… We attempted to do a television special for plus-sizes [in 2000]. No one had any interest in it, still don’t.”
Holliday, who frequently models lingerie, said she’ll stick to more welcoming brands.
“Who needs VS anyway?! They never supported plus ladies and now they are trying to dis my trans sisters? Hell nah. Kiss my fat ass,” she posted on Instagram, along with a photo of herself in ASOS lingerie.
Holliday is one of several influential people in the fashion industry to call out Victoria’s Secret, including Rihanna and transgender model Carmen Carrera. Holliday talked to Vogue on Monday about the lack of representation.
“I never watched the VS fashion show growing up because I knew at a very young age that I couldn’t shop there or wear anything so I didn’t put myself through it because I didn’t want to make myself feel bad,” Holliday said. “I can imagine for a lot of people growing up they feel bad when they only see one certain body type … Diversity is important in the industry because there’s not just one kind of body type. Change only happens when there’s more representation in the industry.”
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The mom of two said that if Victoria’s Secret continues to show that they have no interest in curvy women, it’s best to ignore them and support more inclusive brands.
“As much as I want VS, who’s the biggest lingerie retailer, to embrace plus size and more diverse body types, it’s also important to give your time, focus, and money to brands who are actually doing what you want to see,” she said. “It’s important to be vocal about the brands you do like and what they’re doing right because that’s who should get our money because they actually care about marginalized groups. Always support progressive brands.”
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