Sportswear manufacturer Nike has introduced plus-size mannequins at its flagship London store.
This reflects a larger societal shift towards body acceptance, sparked by the body positivity movement, which was created to encourage people to love the skin that they are in - regardless of size.
In the video below, Hayley Hasselhoff explains what it's like to be a plus-size model:
[[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/2P7zBpw8-Q0L14jDU.mp4||2P7zBpw8]]
However, one arena where larger people have been left feeling particularly stigmatized is in sports. This is why Nike's plus-size mannequin is important; it demonstrates that everyone has the right to be active.
This mannequin was unveiled on the women's floor of Nike's store - alongside para-sport mannequins.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Nike]]
Nike has been praised as being a market leader for providing sportswear for women above a size 16 (US 20).
The sportswear brand introduced its first plus-size range in February of 2017 and since then has collaborated with a number of well-known plus-size models to promote its message of body positivity.
One of these models is Chloe Elliott, pictured below.
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BvACR7XgLT8/]]
To put the importance of Nike's plus-size mannequins into context, other well-known brands like River Island have removed their plus-size range from their stores to online only, further demonstrating why the body positivity movement is so important.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Nike]]
The women's floor of Nike's London store has been completely revamped into a sports extravaganza where visitors can have 1:1 on bra fittings and even speak to Nike trainers.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: very.co.uk]]
Sarah Hannah, Nike's GM/VP for Women in EMEA, said:
"With the incredible momentum in women's sport right now, the re-designed space is just another demonstration of Nike's commitment to inspiring and serving the female athlete.
"This is more than a shopping experience, it's a destination to celebrate sport just in time for an incredible summer of football, netball, athletics and more."
[[imagecaption|| Credit: very.co.uk]]
[[imagecaption|| Credit: very.co.uk]]
Hopefully, Nike's decision to represent all body types will encourage other major brands to follow suit.