Fashion's relationship with diversity has always been complicated — aspirational in press releases, uneven in practice. By 2026, the industry looks genuinely different in some ways and frustratingly familiar in others. For models building careers and clients making casting decisions, understanding where real change has landed matters more than celebrating the rhetoric.
What Has Actually Changed
The runway data tells a clearer story than it did five years ago. Major fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan, and Paris have seen sustained increases in the share of models of color booked per season, with many shows now reflecting casts where models of color make up the majority rather than a tokenistic handful. This shift is structural: agencies have diversified their boards, and casting directors who once operated with unchallenged bias now face client scrutiny and, in some markets, formal accountability frameworks.
Size inclusion has moved more slowly but more visibly. The term "curve" has largely given way to simply booking models across a fuller range of sizes for the same campaigns — rather than creating separate "plus" divisions that function as parallel, lesser tracks. A handful of major brands have eliminated size-tiered model tiers entirely. That said, the luxury segment remains the most resistant, with sample sizes still driving much of the exclusion at couture and high-end ready-to-wear levels.
Age diversity has seen the most genuine evolution at the commercial and editorial levels. Clients in beauty, wellness, and lifestyle casting increasingly request models over 40 and over 50 — not as a novelty, but as a reflection of purchasing demographics. Several well-established agencies now maintain dedicated boards for mature models rather than treating them as an afterthought.
Where the Gaps Remain
Disability representation is still in its early stages. Runway bookings of models with visible disabilities have increased from near-zero to a small but real presence, but the infrastructure — accessible backstage facilities, appropriate fitting support, scheduling accommodations — lags behind the intent. Models with disabilities navigating the industry still report having to educate clients and production teams in ways their peers do not.
Trans and non-binary representation has expanded in editorial and campaign work but remains inconsistent at the commercial level. Brands targeting younger consumers have moved faster. Traditional menswear and womenswear categories at legacy houses have moved slower, often citing fit-room conventions as a practical constraint rather than confronting the assumptions behind those conventions.
Pay equity is the least transparent dimension. There is no reliable public data on whether models from historically underrepresented groups are compensated at equivalent rates to their peers for equivalent work. Anecdotally, the gap appears to have narrowed at the top of the market, where rates are more standardized, but in mid-market and commercial work the picture is murky. Models are advised to compare day rates with peers when possible and to work with agents who can benchmark properly.
What This Means for Models
If you are a model from an underrepresented background, 2026 is genuinely a better environment than 2018 was. Clients are actively seeking diverse talent — but the word "actively" carries weight here. The work of getting in front of the right decision-makers still falls heavily on models themselves.
- Choose representation carefully. An agency that has a track record of booking diverse talent across different client types will serve you better than one that treats diversity as a niche specialty. When meeting with agencies, ask directly about the split of their bookings across different markets and clients. You can browse modeling agencies to compare rosters and specializations.
- Build a portfolio that reflects your range. Diversity clients often want editorial versatility alongside commercial reliability. A book that shows only one type of shoot limits what casting directors can picture.
- Know the specific markets where you have traction. Scandinavia, the UK, and the US commercial market have moved faster on size and age inclusion than, say, Italian luxury. Understanding where your strongest opportunities are is practical, not defeatist.
- Document your rates. Until industry-wide pay transparency improves, individual models keeping records of what they were offered and what comparable models report being paid is the best available tool for negotiating fairly.
What This Means for Clients and Casting
Clients who want genuinely diverse casts need to build that into the brief from the start, not treat it as a late-stage filter. Last-minute diversity requests put casting directors in the position of filling slots rather than identifying the right talent — and the results show.
- Set specific parameters early. "We want a diverse cast" is not actionable. Specifying age ranges, size ranges, and representation goals in the initial brief gives casting directors room to do the work properly.
- Revisit sample size policies. Requiring all models to fit a single sample size is the single most effective structural barrier to diverse casting. Clients with the budget and lead time to commission multiple sample sizes consistently report better casting outcomes.
- Look beyond the top agencies. Smaller and boutique agencies often have more depth in specific talent pools. Expanding the submission list beyond the five largest agencies in any given market opens up the field considerably. Post your casting call to reach a wider range of talent directly.
- Track your own data. Brands that monitor the diversity of their actual booked casts — rather than just their stated intentions — tend to improve faster. Intention without measurement produces little change.
Agencies Leading by Example
Several major agencies have built genuine diversity infrastructure rather than simply marketing it. IMG has maintained one of the more consistently diverse boards across its global network. Wilhelmina has historically been strong on curve and commercial diversity. Storm in London and Premier Model Management have made visible commitments to age and size range on their main boards rather than siloing those models into secondary divisions.
The pattern among agencies that do this well is consistent: they treat diversity as a commercial asset rather than a compliance exercise. Clients across beauty, retail, and lifestyle categories increasingly bring briefs that require diverse talent, which means agencies with that depth are better positioned competitively. Browse model profiles across categories to get a sense of how representation looks across different board types, or check out curated model lists to see how talent is grouped by specialty and market.
The Honest Assessment
Fashion in 2026 is more diverse than at any previous point — but that baseline was low, and the progress has not been uniform. Race and ethnicity representation at runway level has improved meaningfully. Size, age, disability, and gender diversity are at various earlier stages, with commercial work generally ahead of luxury.
The industry still has structural features — sample size conventions, agency commission dynamics, the informal networks through which bookings happen — that work against full equity even when individual actors have good intentions. Change at that level takes longer and requires more than campaign commitments. For models and clients alike, understanding the specific levers that actually matter is more useful than broad optimism or broad cynicism.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which fashion markets are the most inclusive for diverse models in 2026?
The US commercial and catalogue market, Scandinavian advertising, and UK lifestyle clients have moved furthest on size, age, and racial diversity. High-end Italian and French luxury remains the most conservative segment, though even there representation at runway level has improved compared to five years ago.
Do plus-size or curve models earn less than straight-size models?
Pay transparency in modeling is limited, but in commercial and catalogue work — where curve models are most active — day rates are generally comparable to those for straight-size bookings with equivalent clients. The larger gap is in the volume and prestige of available work, particularly at the luxury end, rather than the per-day rate itself.
How should a model with a disability approach agency representation?
Look for agencies that have an existing track record of booking models with disabilities, rather than being the first on a roster — the learning curve for both sides is real. Being clear about any production or fitting accommodations you need upfront saves time and avoids situations where a booking falls apart late in the process.
What can casting directors do to improve diversity outcomes?
The most effective steps are structural: requiring diverse submission pools from agencies, building diversity parameters into the brief from day one, and flagging sample size restrictions early so they can be addressed rather than silently filtering out talent. Tracking booked cast demographics across projects over time is the clearest way to measure whether intentions are translating into outcomes.