Fall 2025 Fashion Trends Embrace Curves—Runway Casting Is Another Story

According to a new study, fashion week has never been less inclusive.

models at schiaparelli, prada, and alaia wearing fall 2025 fashion looks that draw attention to the waist and hips
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Designers seemed to swear off straight-and-narrow silhouettes on the fall 2025 runways. Alaïa kicked off Paris Fashion Week with tubular hooded dresses and undulating skirts inspired by sculptor Mark Manders. Both Sarah Burton's Givenchy debut exploring "everything about the modern woman" and Anthony Vaccarello's stripped-back Saint Laurent show embraced tailoring with exaggerated shoulders—to contrast a steeply inverted parabola of a waist. And at Miu Miu, Miuccia Prada made a declaration to accompany her bullet bras and curved-shoulder suits: "The identification of the feminine is synonymous with the curve."

While that ethos wrapped models in sinuous dresses and amped-up power suiting, it didn't bring curves to the casting itself. Runways all season long were devoid of mid- or plus-size models—so much so that it became a daily complaint in my fashion editor group chat. Vogue Business confirmed what we all saw. A semi-annual size-inclusivity study released on March 17 reported that only 0.3 percent of the total looks shown across the major markets (New York, London, Milan, and Paris) were plus-size. That's an even steeper decline from last season when 0.8 percent of looks appeared on plus-size models.

three models at the alaia show wearing intentionally curved dresses and skirts

Alaïa's latest runway presented "clothes like kinetic sculpture," with skirts that jutted outward from the models' bodies.

(Image credit: Alaïa)

a model walks the shiaparelli runway with a nipped in waist and exaggeratedly skinny trousers

At Schiaparelli, this season's cinched-in blazers with oversize shoulders replaced trompe l'oeil curve dresses from runways past.

(Image credit: Schiaparelli)

The juxtaposition reminded fashion editors like me and casual runway fans how fashion truly perceives curves—the ones made of flesh and blood rather than artfully draped fabric. While exaggerated bustles or shoulders extending into open air are fashion shorthand for empowerment and confidence, a trompe l'oeil dress with an hourglass figure or a mini skirt whose waistband hovers a few inches away from the model's body is actually a sleight of hand to appear even smaller. The mantra "Take up space!" once again applies just to clothes, not diverse body shapes.

In show notes, curvaceous designs were positioned to channel "the power of femininity," as Miu Miu put it. But with an all-time low for plus-size model representation, the curves trending on the runways are manufactured. The 97.7 percent of straight-size models can change their shape at will, trying on bigger hips or more exaggerated waists. However, women whose shapes inspired those curves can't participate—or aren't welcomed to—without designers making their pieces in little other than a sample size. The clothes say one thing, and the casting says the opposite.

two models on the givenchy runway wearing intentionally curved blazers

At Sarah Burton's Givenchy debut, coat and blazer shoulders curved away from the body—and waists were notably cinched inward.

(Image credit: Givenchy)

models at prada and miu miu wearing curve enhanced clothing

Miuccia Prada's two brands, Prada (left) and Miu Miu (right) thought about "the rapport between body and dress," per show notes—and did so with straight-size models only.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Designers don't have to choose between sharing a message with their whole chest and tapping an inclusive cast to display it. Just ask Hermès, the only Paris Fashion Week participant to include a plus-size model on the runway, per Vogue Business. What's holding others back when they proclaim to champion, value, and be inspired by curves—or women in general? I'd love to know.

the only plus size model at the hermes show

According to a study by Vogue Business, Hermès was the only designer who included a plus-size model on the runway this season.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

This season has partly served as a warm-up for next September when radical top-down changes are coming to some of the industry's most notable names. Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Loewe, and Dior are all set to welcome new creative directors (even if they haven't been announced yet)—talents expected to transform the entire appearance of the brands they oversee. It's a moment when the histories of these labels are being rewritten in real-time, as fresh voices take the familiar DNA and spin it into something new.

Once the dust settles, I hope these new designers can assess the numbers, see their runway models envisioned in reality, and finally thread the size-inclusivity needle. Alaïa's creative director, Pieter Mulier, described his latest lineup as "clothes designed to reflect the topography of the female form through curves and padding." But honestly, it's time for runways to do more than merely mirror a single ideal of women's bodies. Let's reimagine fashion week as a platform that honors every woman's form.

Halie LeSavage
Senior Fashion & Beauty News Editor

Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders like celebrity stylist Molly Dickson, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty product launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what style trends—like the rise of emotional support accessories or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. She also justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”

Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.