Ivy Park x Adidas Fails to Deliver on Promise of Inclusivity
Graphic by Agnes Lee. Images via Modern Notoriety, Forbes
The release of Beyoncé’s collaboration with Adidas, the Adidas X Ivy Park Collection, sparked a lot of buzz almost instantly – from who will get one of the coveted orange boxes to the announcement from Adidas back in December that the collection would be primarily gender neutral. However, once the line dropped on January 19th, many of Beyoncé’s fans were disappointed to find that they had been excluded in the sizing of the collection. The clothing in the collection is only offered in sizes XS to XL. According to the CDC, the waist measurement of the average American woman is 38.7 inches. As per Adidas’ own size guidelines, a size XL fits waists measuring 36-38.5 inches. So, the average American woman just misses the cut.
Image via Modern Notoriety
Many took issue to the lack of size inclusivity of the line, especially given that the specific marketing of the collection had a message of inclusivity. In an interview with Elle Magazine, Beyoncé said that the line, “incorporates my personal style and expands that to include something for everyone.” However, everyone does not include plus-size individuals. Furthermore, the brand’s press release states that the collection aims to have “values of inclusivity, community and diversity.” Marketing a campaign on ideals of inclusivity and diversity is a step in the right direction for fashion as a whole, but when the actual clothes come to fruition and do not hold up to these ideals, it begins to look like the ideas of inclusion and diversity were just buzzwords for PR. Ultimately, both Beyoncé and her team promised customers that this line would be inclusive and embrace gender fluidity, but plus-size individuals of all gender identities have been excluded.
The limited size range for the line was especially confusing, given that in October 2019 Adidas released a collaboration with Universal Standard and offered sizes up to 4X. This was Adidas’ first plus-size collection, and at the time a spokesperson for Adidas told Teen Vogue that "inclusive sizing is an important part of Adidas’ commitment to enable more women to participate in sport by creating a more diverse range of products for them. This is the first step in the journey, with much more to come." It is not unreasonable for fans to think that the Adidas X Ivy Park collaboration would be “the much more to come.”
Furthermore, Adidas currently sells multiple pieces, including some not a part of the Universal Standard collaboration, in sizes 1X to 4X. Adidas as a brand has the knowledge, capability and experience to release all of its clothing in plus sizes. The choice to not have the Adidas x Ivy Park collaboration offered in inclusive sizing was precisely that — a choice by both brands. It was not a lack of resources or lack of knowledge of the necessity and desire for inclusive sizing.
Image via Elle
Ultimately, the lack of size inclusivity left a sour taste in the mouths of fans that were promised a collaboration that boasted gender fluidity, inclusivity and diversity. This discrepancy is important to point out, and fans of Beyoncé can do just that while still supporting the inclusivity and diversity she has strived to bolster in multiple capacities within her career. As fashion consumers demand for inclusive fashion, brands must be held accountable for what they promise consumers to ensure that ideals aren't simply used to generate publicity.