via londonfashionweek

Dear Readers,

As London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2014 drew to a close yesterday I’m feeling reflective about the lack of curves on the catwalk. This is not a post about ‘curves, equals real women’, because at ComplexdWoman we celebrate women of all shades shapes and sizes. But, much like replaying your favourite song and eating your favourite dish to often, the repetitiveness puts you off.

This is a reflective piece about the importance of diversity and the beauty in variety. There is nothing like the subtle sensuality of a garment clinging to the curves on a woman and there is nothing like the era of the buoyant Supermodel who was just as important as the designs. So why be subjected season after season to stony-faced iron board bodies smart-phone snapped by stony-faced fashion followers.

via londonfashionweek

I am a viewer who admires the whole picture from the designs to model and production to atmosphere and quite frankly the courtyard of Somerset House has become more exciting than the catwalk and I sift through street snaps instead of style.com

Desperate to find out where all the models with curves have been hiding I headed down to Models1 headquaters to speak to Nicole Sinclair, Head Booker of the Curve division. I had a brief round table discussion with her models who in general are keen to inform young women that you can forge a successful career in the modeling industry and keep your curves.

I was headhunted by Karen Diamond the director of Models1, Europe’s largest modeling agency. The opportunity came about after running a successful modeling competition with UK plus size fashion retailer Evans and Models1.

Nienke Van Der Peet based in London from the Netherlands 

I took on the role of head booker in July 2012 and the first thing I did was change the name from Plus Size to Curve. I’ve never liked the industry term plus size which often encourages preconceived ideas about our top caliber models. In the industry when someone utters the words ‘plus size’, there is this image of a ginormous figure when in fact the girls on our books just have natural feminine curves.  I cannot tell you the amount of times I have presented clients with the portfolios of our girls and they react shocked by their poise and professionalism.

Philomena Kwao – British Ghanaian 

I always go out of my way to introduce my models to clients who don’t usually consider curvier models and most of the time it results in a booking. Philomena Kwao is my biggest success story to date because she has really broken down barriers. She entered the Evans competition and has signed with FORD models in New York. FORD doesn’t even have a curvy division, which is a positive sign the doors can be opened.

Emily Keller based in London from Australia 

There are fashion weeks specifically for curvy models, but I want my models to be a part of the main event in the industry, to be seen at London Fashion Week and get the exposure they deserve. Curvier models get the majority of their bookings from commercial clients so my aim is to crack the luxury fashion clients.

Rose Concencion – British Ghanaian

Call me ambitious, but that’s the kind of person I am. I get a complete buzz from this role because each day is a challenge. A challenge to change the perception of some of our clients, book my girls on reputable jobs and continue to build strong relationships. If you want to be a model booker you need passion, drive and enthusiasm and the willingness to commit to obscure working hours.

Say No to Stoney faces!

Photographs by Henry Robinson