00:00People that look like me are here, turn up.
00:06First, I would really like to thank Refinery29 for having me be a part of this movement, the 67%
00:14Project.
00:15And I want to say, I hope that in this talk that I do, anytime that I say the word
00:2367%,
00:24I want everybody to participate and say we're here, okay?
00:29So I say 67%, we're here.
00:33Perfect, thank you.
00:35Second of all, I would like to thank Lane Bryant as well for having me and be a part of
00:40this movement as well.
00:42So, last month, I came home to my apartment after a very long day at work.
00:48I went to check the mailbox, and what do I spy with my little eye?
00:52A fashion magazine.
00:54Whoever lived in my apartment before me forgot to update their subscription address.
01:00So, I've been getting all these free magazines, and it's been awesome.
01:05So, this time, I was so excited because Michelle Obama was on the cover of the magazine.
01:12I was like, yes, black girl magic, we here, awesome.
01:16So, the second I get home, I drop my bags, hop on the couch, and dive into exploring this magazine
01:24page for page.
01:25But as I come to the end, I find myself baffled.
01:29My brain is, like, in shock.
01:31And my heart became heavy.
01:33And in the entire 330-page issue, there are only two women whose bodies look like mine.
01:40Less than 1%.
01:42That's it.
01:43That's how it always is.
01:46At most, plus-size women make up 2% of media images, when in America, those above a size 14
01:54make up 67% of those women.
02:00In what world is that diversity?
02:03I'm not even speaking about the lack of skin color diversity in this publication, and how they thought they'd feel
02:11the quota by having Michelle Obama on the cover.
02:13Did not work for me.
02:14I just can't believe that in all 330 pages, there was only room for two plus-size women.
02:22So, let's try an exercise.
02:26Round up 330 to 365.
02:30Imagine each page in that magazine represents a day in a year.
02:36Imagine the women on those pages are the women you see every day.
02:41Media is meant to reflect our lives, right?
02:44So, imagine you only saw two plus-size women on two days out of the year.
02:49Better yet, imagine those two people are your mama or your sister.
02:53You can only see your mama or your sister two days out of the year.
03:00Hell, you can only see yourself two days out of the year.
03:04Really, take a minute to think about that.
03:07It sounds silly, but that's how invisible this industry has made.
03:1267% of women.
03:15The majority of women in this country.
03:18Looking at media, that's how the world appears.
03:21And the fact is that whether or not we deliberately look, we are all exposed to media.
03:27Whether it's television, movies, advertisement, or the images popping up on our phones.
03:32Those visuals can speak even louder than words.
03:35Sending constant messages to our brains.
03:38Reading that magazine, I heard it loud and clear again.
03:40Society doesn't merit me.
03:43Society doesn't think I, or your mother, or your sister, or many of you are worthy of being seen.
03:50As I became more curious about this disconnect, I thought of all of the major women's magazines I've been reading
03:57over the years.
03:59Vogue, Elle, Glamour, InStyle, Essence.
04:02And I realized that all of the editors and chiefs of these magazines are women.
04:08Let's get this straight.
04:09We can all agree on an issue like equal pay, right?
04:16Most of these magazines and their readers would argue that all women should be paid the same as their male
04:21counterparts.
04:22We're allowed to make noise about that.
04:25But when it comes to equal representation in these pages, we go quiet.
04:29We simply aren't supporting one another like we should.
04:32Compared to a cause like equal pay, this may seem like a separate issue or even a frivolous one,
04:38but that is another crucial disconnect.
04:41We all know the power of visuals.
04:44They influence how we shop, what we desire, but most importantly, how we see ourselves.
04:50When a person doesn't see herself reflected 98% of the time, it has an undeniable effect on her psyche.
05:00Underrepresentation undercuts her self-worth.
05:03It makes confidence and self-esteem that much harder to achieve.
05:09The inverse is true as well.
05:11I vividly, and I'm going to try not to cry.
05:16I vividly remember the day that Lane Bryant launched their I'm No Angel campaign.
05:24Overnight, the city was filled with images of plus-sized women.
05:28Wherever I looked, I saw them on TV screens, billboards, even subway cars.
05:34That day, I couldn't help but walk around with my head held a little higher,
05:40and my strut a little firmer, and my smile a little brighter.
05:46I saw myself in those women.
05:49And so for the first time, I saw myself everywhere.
05:56I went last night to Times Square, and I saw my billboard at Times Square,
06:12and that's why I'm getting so emotional, because we're here.
06:16We're here, as arbitrary as it may seem, and I need tissue now.
06:22It gave me permission to be proud of my body.
06:25For the first time, my brain was getting new messages.
06:28I was reminded that there are so many other women out there with bodies like my own.
06:34It was, thank you, love.
06:36Thank you, sisters, 67%.
06:41It was an ad campaign, but to me, it meant so much more.
06:45And considering the backlash the company was receiving with these shocking ads,
06:50it had an impact on others, too.
06:52And it gave me the hope that other brands might follow suit
06:55and be a part of something bigger.
06:58It made me think that maybe things were changing.
07:01What might change next?
07:02If we can have more plus-size clothing models, then why not plus-size clothes?
07:09There's this crazy myth that plus women prefer to shop online
07:13because it's too uncomfortable to shop in stores.
07:17Lies.
07:18The primary reason most of us shop online is because online retailers
07:22are the only ones with trendier clothing options,
07:25like Asos Curve, Eloquii, Rue 107, and other boutique outlets.
07:30We have to shop virtually because the real world seems to be saying,
07:34don't come out of your homes.
07:36We don't want to see you.
07:37Put on your invisible cloak and do your shopping on the Internet.
07:41I say, how dare you?
07:43This is 67% of the women who have birthed your children.
07:49They are your daughters.
07:50They work for you or you work for them.
07:52They belong in this society just as much as you do.
07:56And speaking of trendiness, it's really these high-end designers
07:59who are falling behind.
08:00Why do so many believe they'll lose their air of inclusivity
08:05by being inclusive?
08:06Christian Siriano has disproven this time again with his work,
08:11and along with Michael Costello and Carmen Mark Valvo.
08:15Furthermore, retail revenue for luxury brands has been spiraling in recent years.
08:20Just this summer, it was reported that sales of full-priced online items dropped 48%,
08:27and the dip was even deeper in stores.
08:30Do you hear that, designers?
08:33Like, are you listening?
08:35How much do you want to bet that if you start pitching a new market
08:38by putting Precious Lee or Tess Holiday in your clothes,
08:42that you'll see your sales increase and become a hotter brand?
08:47I wish people would just get with times.
08:50You can still be considered a luxury brand, just a cooler one.
08:55There is value in the plus-size dollar.
08:58In 2014, the plus-size apparel market generated over $17.5 billion.
09:05Both the fashion and media industries are missing out big time.
09:09By overlooking these women, you are not only failing us, but yourselves as well.
09:14We want to shop till we drop.
09:16We want to see ourselves in magazines, not as a quota, but on covers.
09:21We want to express our personal style, whatever that may be.
09:26We want to feel sexy, chic, professional, youthful, adult, modest, athletic, bohemian,
09:33elegant, and much more, because we are a multitude.
09:37Today, I challenge all of us to not only to see the 67%
09:45But to stand up for them and to take action.
09:49I am speaking especially to you female leaders.
09:52Be a woman who stands for all women.
09:57Editors, we want to be seen.
09:59Designers, we want to be dressed.
10:02Retellers, we want options.
10:05Women, we must do this together.
10:08Thank you, guys.
10:09Thank you, guys.
