Ms Nnadi added: “I don’t think we can pin it on any one thing. I do think that Ozempic has something to do with it, because we’re seeing a lot of celebrities who are using it, and I think there’s a shift in the culture around how we think about our bodies, and how we address our bodies.”
She said she believes it is important that “all bodies are represented”, but conceded that many designers make their runway collections in “sample size”, which is between sizes six and four, limiting the models who can fit in the clothes.
“We as a magazine cannot change it on our own, because obviously, the designers are making clothes at a sample size,” she said. “It’s something that is really worth talking about in fashion right now, because it is a real problem.”
Ms Nnadi, who was speaking before the launch of the Vogue: Inventing the Runway exhibition at London’s Lightroom on Wednesday, said that there wasn’t enough “body diversity representation” this past season.
She added: “It felt almost like at certain shows the models were especially thin.
“It’s hopefully not something that will endure, and it’s something that will hopefully be a wake-up call, and that this negative trend will not progress.”
The immersive exhibition, which explores the history of the modern runway, will be open until Apr 26.
Lack of representation
Ms Nnadi also said the magazine had championed certain plus-sized models such as Paloma Elsesser and Precious Lee on its cover, but conceded there wasn’t enough representation of the kind across the industry.
A Vogue Business Spring/Summer 2025 size inclusivity report into body shapes seen on the catwalks across New York, London, Milan and Paris found that of 8,763 looks across 208 shows and presentations, 94.9 per cent were a size US 0-4 (UK 4-8).
It found that 0.8 per cent were plus-size (US 14+) and 4.3 per cent were mid-size (US 6-12).
Commenting on the report, Emma Davidson, the fashion features director at Dazed magazine told Vogue: “For me, it was the worst season in a long time. It has felt like brands were turning their back on inclusive casting for a while, but this season, I sat in my seat a few times at shows where bigger models had previously been present, and it was so disheartening to see no representation – this season feels like the nail in the coffin.”