BRINGING MESSAGE OF SIZE INCLUSIVITY TO PARIS FASHION WEEK STREETSTYLES

Vienna-based fashion blogger Tatiana Funkova and her team have taken the initiative to promote size inclusivity in high-end fashion through their Project Size. The goal of the project is to change the perception of body image in the fashion industry and promote size inclusivity for women of all sizes.

Tatiana shared the details of her story and her personal motivations for why she created the project:

"I’ve been into fashion, since I was the child, a chubby child admiring beautiful dresses on skinny models. I was sure, that those beautiful designer dresses are not for me, because I didn’t look like those skinny models. A couple of years ago, I understood how much media, magazines and fashion world influence our perception of our bodies, especially young women. I created this project for little girls like me, I want to be their voice so they can live in a better world and not go through what I went through and what thousands of women have gone through."

As a plus-size fashion blogger, Tatiana has been in the industry for over five years and knows firsthand how the media and fashion industry affect our perception of our bodies, especially for young women. Her recent video on TikTok about a Dior dress that wasn't available in her size garnered more than 2 million views, and many people expressed surprise and bewilderment that high-end fashion brands don't consider plus sizes.

This reaction inspired Tatiana and Maria Lelyuk, the art director of Project Size, to take action and bring the idea of size inclusivity to Paris Fashion Week. They wore T-shirts with messages in support of size inclusivity outside Dior show and received a lot of support from people around them. The project garnered attention through interviews and social media, and Tatiana believes that size inclusivity in high fashion is not just about clothes, but about changing mindsets and eliminating the stigma associated with people's sizes.

Through the Size Project, Tatiana and her team hope to create a positive impact on eating disorders, mental health and creativity in the fashion industry. Their ultimate goal is to get high end fashion brands like Dior to start creating plus-size dresses and promote a more inclusive fashion industry for all.

Photos from PFW, Photographer Maria Lelyuk