Many designers claim to make real clothes for real women, but that claim isn’t quite convincing when the collections are presented on twiggy teenagers wearing wigs and a bucketload of makeup. However, several of the Pre-Fall lookbooks that star non-models suggest change is coming. Take, for example, Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, who showcased their latest lineup for The Row on silver-haired beauty entrepreneur Linda Rodin as well as old-school catwalkers Esther de Jong and Ursula Wallis. Their mature casting underscored the sophistication of the collection. Roland Mouret also likes to feature strong, creative characters. After spotlighting DJ Mimi Xu for Resort, Mouret snapped eccentric knitwear designer/arts patron Tiphaine de Lussy for Pre-Fall. Last but not least, stylist and street-style favorite Ursina Gysi posed for Sonia Rykiel this season. We’re hoping to see fashion promote real people more often in the future.
