Letter from John Bartlett, Director of the Marist Vogue Program
Thanks, Marist Circle, for the chance to answer the opinion piece entitled “Marist Vogue: Cease Utilizing Solely Tall and Skinny Fashions.” As Director of Marist’s Vogue Program, I used to be disheartened to see an opinion piece that doesn’t pretty signify the Program’s dedication to Range, Fairness and Inclusion. It’s a work in progress, as with all essential social justice points, and views from college students are welcome. However I do really feel a must make clear the report and level out the article’s factual inaccuracies.
It’s my understanding that Kaylin Moss, the creator of the piece, agreed to be the duvet star of Measure realizing she was not going to obtain monetary compensation. There may be documentation of the interplay between the editorial employees of Measure and Ms. Moss stating that the duvet persona was to not be compensated financially however would obtain a considerable amount of publicity, a written function and a sequence of images dressed within the work of the Senior designers. Ms. Moss replied that whereas she would have appreciated fee, she was nonetheless “honored” to be chosen because the featured scholar.
The opposite college students modeling within the Measure difficulty that options Ms. Moss on the duvet had been certainly pretty paid as scholar employees as are the coed fashions who stroll the runway for the Silver Needle Runway present. Ms. Moss was not thought of a mannequin; she was thought of the coed star of the problem and a illustration and embodiment of the caliber of the Marist scholar physique.
Ms. Moss questions the usage of “conventional pattern measurement fashions” in her opinion piece. Marist design college students work on many physique sorts, and we herald skilled match fashions from New York Metropolis that vary from sizes 4 to 14 and past. This yr’s Silver Needle Runway options plus-size collections, collections with solely African American fashions, and trans fashions.
I respectfully disagree with the author’s perspective that the scholars would not have the chance to discover all sorts of our bodies. The Vogue Program encourages college students to at all times contemplate inclusion as a part of in the present day’s trend and social panorama, and that is mirrored within the work of not solely the senior designers, however different grades and concentrations as properly. For example, a junior design scholar is making a line that adapts for these in wheelchairs, and quite a few merchandising college students have developed initiatives in adaptable clothes. One group of senior merchandising college students has launched a Marist Membership for Runway of Desires this yr, whose mission is to create adaptive runway scholar exhibits.
Ms. Moss limits her critique to final yr’s SNR. I invite her to overview the work of this yr’s senior collections. I consider she can be impressed with the range of fashions and designs introduced. The Vogue Program encourages merchandising and design college students to broaden their ideas of trend to be as inclusive as doable and never, as Ms. Moss claims, to bolster the “cycle of sustaining Eurocentric magnificence.” I’ve been moved by the coed work this yr. It’s a true reflection of an increasing concept of magnificence and inclusivity and, whereas there are actually blind spots and areas that may enhance, I really feel strongly that the Vogue Program is addressing and supporting variety, inclusion and an general sense of belonging. I additionally invite Ms. Moss to go to the Metal Plant and witness the revolution that’s quietly occurring.
