Fashion Student Brings Attention the Lack of Plus Size Education in Design Curriculums.

Dominique Norman Plus-Size Fashion

For fans of Project Runway, the show’s seasonal plus size and “real people” challenges have become pretty predictable by now. A few designers have a melt down at the prospect of having to dress “average” bodies, while others simply send their models down the runway in an ill-fitting disaster. Occasionally, designers like Christian Siriano and Ashley Nell Tipton hit it out of the park.

And while seeing talented fashion designers balk at the mere idea of dressing people who look like the majority of the population is pretty entertaining, it also serves as a reminder that fashion education has a long way to go. Many designers simply aren’t being taught how to design clothing for plus size bodies.

Dominique Norman, a grad student at New York’s prestigious Parsons School of Design, the very same school where Project Runway host Tim Gunn served as a faculty member and chair for 25 years, is calling attention to the ongoing issue of plus size fashion education.

After seeing an article on Fusion.net about a Washington State University study, that found the average American woman wears a size 16, Norman, who attended the school’s fashion proram, reached out to Fusion to share her perspective. Norman also happens to be the first student in the history of Washington State’s fashion design program to create a plus size collection. She created the collection for her senior thesis.

“Due to this deficit of representation in curriculums throughout the United States, I became inspired to create a collection that accurately reflected the average American woman and challenge the typical designs and silhouettes that are available in the plus size market,” Norman said.

Norman also also spoke to Refinery 29 about this often overlooked issue. While plus size representation is an ongoing conversation, little attention is being paid to the institutions that educate and train the next generation of designers. Perhaps we would see more plus size collections, and more plus size models if fashion students were being taught differently?