When it comes to acknowledging that the athletically minded can come in all shapes, sizes and abilities, it’s really not that hard to just do it.
That’s what Nike’s London stores are proving, with the inclusion of plus and differently-abled mannequins, which debuted at its flagship store on Wednesday, as CNN reports.
“To celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of sport, the space will not just celebrate local elite and grassroots athletes through visual content, but also show Nike plus size and para-sport mannequins for the first time on a retail space,” Nike said in a press release.
The new mannequins accompany “extended offerings of plus-sizes,” at NikeTown London’s redesigned women’s floor, in addition to women’s team kits and customized sportswear.
“With the incredible momentum in women’s sport right now, the redesigned space is just another demonstration of Nike’s commitment to inspiring and serving the female athlete,” Sarah Hannah, Nike’s general manager and vice president for women in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said in a statement.
As CNN notes, Nike is actually a follower, not a leader in adding mannequin diversity to its stores; though the brand launched a plus-size range in 2017 with offerings that extend to 3X, stores like Old Navy and Nordstrom were ahead of the curve, so to speak, in adding different body types to their in-store displays.
Nike’s latest move answers the frustration of plus-sized shoppers unable to find their sizes in stores or envision themselves in the garments offered, relegating an already marginalized group (though they are technically in the majority). Last November, plus-sized British influencers pointed out the hypocrisy of this in an open letter published in Cosmopolitan UK.
“We want the same clothes as everybody else, in bigger sizes, available in store,” writer Laura Capon said.
No words when Nike’s newest diversity push might make it stateside.