Once again mainstream media has rejected an opportunity for diversity in the fashion community. The latest comes from Condé Nast’s rejection of Cameroonian photographer, Mario Epaya’s, draft of a Vogue Africa project he was proposing to Condé Nast. He recently announced the rejection on his Facebook page.

With consumers wanting to find more identifiable representation in the glossy magazines they read, why would Condé Nast reject an oppportunity to make a bold statement and help to redefine the standard of beauty? How could they state in the header on their website,

“Provocative, influential, and award winning content. Across brand. Across platforms. Across continents.”

yet reject the opportunity to actually BE “Provocative, influential, and award winning content. Across brand. Across platforms. Across continents.” Mainstream media tends to restrict the amount of minorities that are given the elusive ability to become a household name in this underrepresented demographic. A few months ago I wrote an article about Breaking Barriers which focused on the need for more real women bodies on the catwalks. Crystal Renn has become a household name, but there are countless other nameless plus size models out there who deserve the same recognition she has garnered.

This latest rejection by Condé Nast simply attests to the fashion world’s immobility when it comes to diversity. It will fragment off a tiny sliver in an effort to silence the voices of those who demand a change because it is their consumer dollars that keep these corporations afloat. It’s time to embrace all forms of beauty. Sound off and tell us what you think about Condé Nast’s decision and whether or not you would pick up a copy of one of these magazines if they were available at your local newstand.

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City Chic, an Australian chain store which carries plus size clothing, made Australian fashion history recently when it hosted the first ever plus size model fashion show during Australian fashion week. The tone was set from the onset that these curvy women were not afraid to sashay down the catwalk with confidence and grace in some of this years latest trends.

As a demographic which is under served in the fashion industry, it was amazing to see someone take a pivitol step towards breaking the barriers and projecting a positive image of what most would think are average size women. According to statistics the average woman is 140 pounds, 5’4, and wears a size 14. With these numbers should we even be labeling these women plus size? Or better yet should we be labeling them at all? It seems to me that when you walk into a department store there isn’t a sign labeling the women who don’t fall under this demographic. You simply follow the arrows pointing you to women’s, but once you are outside of what is perceived to be the “norm” such as plus size or petite you immediately fall under a separate category.

Crystal Renn, a top plus size model in the fashion industry, recently spoke to Stylist.com about her new book “Hungry” due out September 8, 2009. She chronicles her battle with eating disorders as a young model trying to make her mark in the industry to becoming a successful and confident model who has done runway shows for Jean Paul Gaultier, fashion shoots for Vogue, and ad campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana. Here is an excerpt:

StyleList: Why did you decide to write this book?
Crystal Renn: I could only reach a certain number of people through magazine interviews and I wanted to take it to the next level and go into greater depths about my story. One of the messages I wanted to get out was that no matter who you are or where you are, you can accomplish your dreams. I’m a girl from Clinton, Mississippi, and here I am in New York. I also wanted to talk about body acceptance and help women feel empowered.

You can read the rest of the interview here.

Forever 21 recently introduced a new line called Faith 21 which is geared towards plus size women. What is so awesome about this line is the availability of trendy clothes for young women at affordable prices.  I applaud City Chic, Forever21 and others who have taken the initiative to break the barriers and include a population of women who were once excluded.

Fashion is about feeling good, creative expression, and taking risks. There should be no predefined sets of criteria which determines the status quo of what beauty should be. It’s time that we redefine this concept and begin to embrace beauty in various forms. When we look in nature we can appreciate the beauty in the various lines, colors, and shapes and take inspiration from it so why should this be any different when looking at natural beauty in its raw form? A confident woman is a beautiful sight to behold and I feel that body acceptance is one of the first steps that needs to be taken in order to achieve this.