In a world first for the sportswear brand, Nike has unveiled their newest mannequins. The mannequins, which depict plus sizes and para-sport human bodies, are a shift in the way retail is looking at marketing to customers, proving we’re most definitely on the way to changing the conversation.
The mannequins have been unveiled at the Nike store in London’s Oxford Street, with a dedicated new level for female athletes. Nike’s plus size range currently extends to a 3X, a move that was implemented in 2017.
So far, reactions to the new mannequins have been overwhelmingly positive, with customers enjoying seeing more inclusive body shapes represented in stores.
“So important to show that women of all sizes can be fit and healthy!” one person wrote on Instagram, per The Independent. “We have been completely brainwashed into thinking skinny = fit and curvy = unhealthy. This is awesome.”
However, some — ahem, The Telegraph columnist Tanya Gold — are convinced the mannequins are promoting an unhealthy body weight. Writing an article for the UK newspaper, Gold explained how a woman the mannequin’s size “cannot run. She is, more likely, pre-diabetic and on her way to a hip replacement.” Ummm. Quickly shut down by many a celebrity, Gold’s comments were labelled, rightly so, as rude and outdated.
Jameela Jamil was one of the first to clap back, posting to Instagram, “How can we shame people about their size and then try to take down mannequins for sportswear that include their size, inviting them at last into a part of the world they have been previously excluded from.”
Haters aside, we’re all for the new move. Well done, Nike!
