Melbourne Fashion Week has experienced a monumental change.
Formerly known as Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, the City of Melbourne’s annual event dropped ‘Spring’ in the title to welcome a transeasonal approach to Australian fashion.
As it does away with the season, MFW is turning over a new leaf.
MFW cast curvy model Stefania Ferrario as its ambassador, promising the most diverse fashion week Melbourne has seen.
Not only is the 24-year-old setting a precedent within Australia, she’s setting a global standard by becoming the first curvy model to ever campaign for a fashion week.
Stefania said it’s a “shame” it’s taken so long for a model above a size 10 to be cast as a campaign ambassador, but it’s a “great start”.
“To be able to see the hype around Melbourne Fashion Week and the fact that it’s so diverse and forward thinking this year- I’m really looking forward to it,” Stefania said.
The Canberra-born model initially found it hard to break into the industry, experiencing “a lot” of rejection at an early age.
“Even though I was about 20 kilograms lighter than I am now when I was 16, I was still told I needed to lose more weight if I wanted to model. It was really difficult. Unfortunately my body got curvier and curvier, and it got more and more difficult,” she said.
Stefania was eventually picked up by Sydney’s Bella Model Management, becoming a plus size model who would go on to feature in campaigns for high profile clients like Dita Von Teese.
While she promoted body positivity, Stefania began to notice the stigma associated with the term ‘plus’.
“I started seeing the responses from the public, and I realised there was something wrong with the label. If the average woman in Australia is a size 14, and I’m a 12, why I am being labelled ‘plus’ size?” she said.
“It’s really misleading to young girls, because it implies that these models are bigger than the norm- and what is normal, anyway? I think it could damage the minds of young girls if they see models of their size labelled ‘plus’ size.”
Since Stefania launched #droptheplus campaign in 2015, most modelling agencies have ditched the use of the term ‘plus’.
The ‘curvy’ models now sit on the main board, or are referred to using the number sizing system- a 12, 14 or 16 and beyond.
The self-described ‘Andro Queen,’ as her Instagram bio states, also promotes gender fluidity.
Stefania has modelled in both women and menswear, and hopes to see “more and more” models coming out like Andreja Pejić and Erika Linder who “break down barriers”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWzSPHSjc21/?taken-by=stefania_model
The model famously shaved off her head in 2012, resiting gender norms and raising money for the Cancer Council in the process.
“I just got this urge to shave it off and say ‘f*** you’ to femininity. I can do whatever the hell I want without hair. It was really liberating,” she said.
But while size and gender is seeing a change, Stefania said the modelling industry has a long way to go before it represents models of all backgrounds.
“We’ve seen a lot of progression in the last five years. We’re seeing more and more models of different sizes walking the runways and being in photo shoots. Ages and ethnicities- that’s still behind. I think that’s still changing,” Stefania said.
Creative director Kate Gaskin, responsible for casting models for MFW shows, said there’s a “big focus” on diversity on this year’s runways.
“In the past agencies have put forward talent that they think is appropriate, whereas this year they’ve really cast the net wide. They’ve put forward a lot of different sizes, heights, hair colour and skin colour,” Kate said.
Kate said it was a “refreshing” and “welcome” change to see the variety of talent as this year’s casting call, given the streets of Melbourne are so culturally diverse.
“It’s just not relevant to have 20 girls or guys going down the runway looking the same because that’s not what real life is,” Kate said.
South Sudanese-born model Subah Koj is one of MFW’s newest talents, appearing in this year’s campaign.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BW4zhHFHnzT/?taken-by=melbfashionweek
The 19-year-old took over the MFW Instagram to document the behind-the-scenes action at this year’s casting call.
Subah follows in the footsteps of Ajak Deng, fellow South Sudanese-born international model and MFW campaign ambassador.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWxDnakHSZs/?taken-by=melbfashionweek
The IMG model declared her retirement in March last year, citing “the fakes and the lies” the reason for her modelling departure in an Instagram post hat has since been removed.
While Ajak walked for Louis Vuitton, Valentino and Calvin Klein runways, the model struggled to book Australian clients.
The 27-year-old, who now lives in New York, decided to return to the runway to advocate for diversity in the industry.
Ajak’s involvement in promoting this year’s MFW provides hope for the future diversity of all Australian fashion weeks.
