Why Are There No Plus-Size Male Models?

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At women's fashion shows, brands casting runway models have been criticized up and down for the lack of diversity that shows up on the runway, both in race and in size. The criticism has helped pushed forward new measures to ensure that runway models meet basic health requirements, and plus-size fashion has become much more visible in the past couple of years. But, as Yahoo Style points out, what about the male models? The runways at New York Fashion Week: Mens suffer from the same diversity problems, but, at least so far, there hasn't been any action taken to change the norm.

"As an agency, we don't dictate demand, we respond to it," Gene Kogan, a DNA model management agent, told Yahoo Style. "Demand has to originate from designers, brands, or retailers. If there was a strong demand for plus-size male models, believe me, we would be scouting for them."

The average male runway model measures 6'1" with a 32-inch waist. Models who don't adhere to that standard are often skipped over for the runways because, as Kogan says, the demand isn't there for body diversity. Yahoo Style spoke to one model, Jermaine Hollman, who measured 6'5" and weighed 225 pounds, and has done campaigns for Target and Rochester Big and Tall. "I'm not going to get to do Versace," he told Yahoo Style. "In fashion, everything has been one way since the beginning and it's still that way. No matter if we're talking about race or size, it's the same look."