Leeds Beckett Fashion shows commitment to diversity and inclusivity for LEEDS 2023 events

RUN is a fashion-first for the city, offering an exciting line-up of events overseen by Leeds Beckett University Professor of Fashion and internationally acclaimed Yorkshire designer, Matty Bovan. The line-up starts with an unmissable photoshoot takeover of Trinity Leeds, in the heart of the city centre, which will debut the graduate collections of Leeds Beckett University’s Fashion Class of 2023, inviting the public as spectators in an immersive experience. The events run as part of LEEDS 2023’s Awakening and Playing showcases.

An open casting call for models in Leeds gathered a diverse group of people to Leeds School of Arts earlier this month, where fashion academics, including Professor Matty Bovan, made the final selection. The models who were chosen will present the Class of 2023’s collections at the photoshoot on 4 April and at the catwalk show on 1 June.

In choosing the models, a pledge for inclusivity was made, to reflect the work ethics and curriculum element prioritising diversity, which the students and academics abide by in their work. The cast of models reflects this commitment, with people from a range of gender identities, sizes and ethnic backgrounds presenting at the events.

A group of 15 models have been chosen by the fashion panel, with five women, four men, three non-binary, and three size 14-16 models. Of the 15 models, five are people of colour.

Sam Hudson-Miles, Course Director for Fashion at Leeds Beckett University, said: “We made the decision not to use a professional model agency and, instead, to cast the models ourselves, as we wanted to celebrate the diversity, and beauty, of ‘real people’ in Leeds. This aligns with the LEEDS 2023 mission statement.

“As educators, we are finding that, year-on-year more of our Fashion students are approaching their fashion design thinking from a ‘default’ non-binary perspective. The use of non-binary models gives an inclusive aesthetic to collections that have been designed specifically as womenswear or menswear collections. Students are also keen to represent real body shapes, hence our casting of dress size 14-16 models, as this is now the UK standard. One student has designed her collection specifically for this body shape. We can’t wait to see the images from the shoot!

The casting day was great, we had a fantastic turnout from a diverse range of models, in terms of ethnicity, gender, and body shape – which is exactly what we

wanted. We hope people in Leeds are just as excited for the events as we are. We look forward to seeing a big turnout!”

The countdown is on for the first event of the RUN fashion programme. Everyone in the city and wider region is invited to the photoshoot takeover at Trinity Leeds on Tuesday 4 April, between 9:00-18:00. For more information, please visit our website.