Three Plus-Size Models Stole the Show at Versace
While the usual suspect of top models stormed Versace's in real life Spring/Summer 2021 runway—Joan Smalls, Mariacarla Boscono, Imaan Hammam, et.al—three new faces stole the show. Curvy models Alva Claire, Precious Lee, Jill Kortleve made their Donatella Versace debut clad in the Italian designer's finest underwater wear. The fashion itself was a colorful interpretation of what mermaid folk must wear to go out dancing.
Casted by industy vet Piergiorgio del Moro, the trio's apperance comes at a time when many are reconsidering the long-held conventions of the runway. "It’s so unbelievable to work for brands I always dreamt of working for," Kortleve wrote on her Instagram. "I hope that we open the doors for a new generation with the same dreams but who never saw themselves in the magazines or the commercials."
Since the designer's tribute to her late brother in 2017 with the five supers (Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and Claudia Schiffer), she has made a habit of runway surprises as of late. A year ago, Jennifer Lopez reprised her Internet-defining Grammys dress for Versace's jungle themed-runway, and others like Emily Ratajkowski and Stephanie Seymour have lent themselves to recent catwalk cameos.