In a refreshing contrast to the fashion industry's worrying return to promoting ultra-thinness, London Fashion Week has seen a resurgence of body diversity on the runway. While major fashion capitals like New York, Milan, and Paris have seen a troubling decline in plus-size representation, emerging designers in the UK are bucking the trend and championing a wider range of body shapes.
Karoline Vitto Leads the Charge for Inclusivity
Leading the charge is Brazilian-born designer Karoline Vitto, whose autumn/winter 2026 show delivered a powerful statement on size diversity. Vitto's runway cast ranged from UK size 8 to size 22, with models of varying proportions all wearing the same fluid, body-conscious silhouettes.
As Vogue reports, the designer framed her work as a "reaction to society" - a direct response to the industry's troubling return to promoting thinness as the ideal. "Where did all the curve models go?" Vitto pointedly asked backstage.
A Shift Towards Liquid Tailoring and Exposed Layers
Vitto's collection embodied a softened, liquid approach to tailoring, with sheer and silk emerging as dominant textures. A cream slip dress set the tone, skimming the torso and gathering gently at the hips to create subtle shaping through drape rather than rigid structure. This fluid aesthetic allowed the garments to adapt flatteringly to bodies of all shapes and sizes.
The transparency and exposed layering Vitto employed also aligns with a broader runway trend, as The Guardian reports. This liquid finish and deliberate revealing of the body beneath feels like a deliberate counterpoint to the industry's push towards ultra-thinness.
Implications for the Wider Fashion Landscape
What this really means is that the fashion world is at a critical crossroads. While major players double down on promoting a singular, exclusionary standard of beauty, a new generation of designers are fighting to make diversity and inclusivity the new normal.
The bigger picture here is that London is showing the rest of the industry a path forward - one where body positivity isn't a seasonal trend, but a fundamental part of the design process. As Inkl reports, Vitto's show delivered a "pointed reminder that body diversity isn't radical - it can, and should, be standard practice."
If the wider fashion landscape is to truly embrace inclusivity and champion diverse representations of beauty, it will need to follow London's lead. The future of the industry may very well depend on it.