In a recent move to promote body-positivity and representation, Nike debuted plus-size mannequins in the women’s section of its revamped London flagship store.
According to Complex, the move is a first for the brand’s overseas retailers, and the sport’s bra- and leggings-clad mannequins mark an important step forward for Nike and body representation in general.
“At Nike, our mission is to serve all athletes and we continually evolve how we display product across our platforms to reflect the diverse consumers we serve every day,” a Nike spokesperson told Complex.
“To celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of sport, the space will not just celebrate local elite and grassroot athletes through visual content, but also show Nike plus size and para-sport mannequins for the first time on a retail space,” the brand elaborated in a statement.
While Nike’s recent endeavor to provide appropriate representation for a wider variety of customers should really just be good news that everyone can get on board with, that obviously can’t happen. Why? Because that would require everyone to leave well enough alone, which is impossible.
Naturally, not everyone had good things to say about the new plus-size mannequins, including one particularly irate writer at the UK publication The Telegraph, who lashed out at Nike in a much circulated op-ed, calling the mannequins “a dangerous lie.”
The writer, Tanya Gold, swiftly faced a slew of social media backlash, and The Telegraph later published a counter-piece in which writer Rebecca Reid had to remind everyone that exercise actually “isn’t just for thin people,” and mannequins are neither dangerous nor deceitful. Go figure.
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