Diversity & Inclusivity in Modeling: Focus on Petite Models

By Pauline Kurbach

The Diversity Trend

The fashion industry has a greater impact on our society than we think at first sight. What is presented on runways, in advertising campaigns, and in the media defines our standards of beauty. And whether it's fashion or commercial, the modeling world has without any doubt become more inclusive. The 2010s were a turning point for diversity in the industry, as modeling agencies began to embrace curvy models, ethical diversity, and LGBTQ+ beauty. It seems that nowadays, there is a place for everyone.

While the industry has gone a long way, one niche is still being neglected: petite models. This significant gap in the modeling profession deserves a little bit more attention.

Insights from a Petite Model

With a height of 5’4” - and the beauty standards I saw represented in the media - I never considered modeling as an option for myself. This was until I started studying marketing in the South of France, where I accidentally got into modeling while attending a photography workshop. The instructor and photographer thought I belonged in front of the lens and scouted me for a video campaign the next week.

After that, I started posting my photos on Instagram. With the right hashtags, local brands discovered my profile organically, and it went from there. It definitely helps if you have distinct features;in my experience being a ginger distinguished me from other models and helped me get many bookings. Modeling quickly became more than a hobby for me and helped me finance my studies. I worked for mostly smaller brands in various sectors, such as lingerie, jewelry, apparel, tech, and coiffure… until I got some bigger jobs. My breakthrough was with the hair salon chain Bruno Flaujac, styled by Raphaël Perrier himself, a four-time hairdressing world champion. My face became ubiquitous throughout France, appearing in hundreds of storefront windows as part of the "Jour & Nuit" campaign. Even strangers began sending me photos when they spotted the advertisements in Paris, Bordeaux, and Toulouse.

Despite having a surprisingly positive experience as a freelance petite model in France, receiving frequent bookings and positive feedback from brands, I did feel the limits in one aspect: getting signed with an agency. This is the goal for any aspiring model because you usually book the big jobs through your agency, being signed almost guarantees you consistency and good rates.

Until recently, I never sent out any applications to agencies due to my self-doubt, which was further reinforced by the experiences of other Petites in the industry who had not succeeded with their agency applications. Many of them shared stories of facing discrimination from traditional agencies due to their height. In fact, several agencies do not even give the option to select a height under 5’7”.

Industry Standards

High fashion editorial agencies such as Elite represent typically 5’8” or taller models. But commercial agencies like Bella Agency have less strict height requirements, they represent more diverse types of models. Another possibility for petite models is to seek representation with fashion-focused agencies that have a commercial division, such as Wilhelmina.

Despite the existence of these more inclusive agencies, commercial modeling is still mostly out of reach for women under 5’7”. This is because it remains difficult to get signed. According to some agencies, this is because no one would book petite models. However, brands claim this is only due to the absence of petite models in their agencies. During the last semester of my international MBA, I had the opportunity to attend NY and LA Fashion Weeks, where I heard firsthand from different designers about their desire to showcase their clothes on models of various heights, yet they struggled to find those candidates during the castings. In my personal experience, many brands are open to working with petite models, but most agencies still maintain strict height requirements that prevent the industry from evolving towards becoming more inclusive.

Biggest Models not Always the Tallest

Some of the most successful supermodels, such as Kate Moss (5”7), Cara Delevingne (5’8”), and Emily Ratajkowski (5’7”) are all shorter than the 'regular model standard,' however this hasn't stopped them from breaking into the modeling industry. Karl Lagerfeld’s muse, Lily-Rose Depp may only be 5’3” tall but she became Chanel’s youngest official face and has even walked their runway since 2016. This shows that petite models have the potential for international stardom.

Social Media Opens Doors

Being well-known or having a large social media following can certainly make up for a few "missing" inches as we can see on the example of Sophia Richie (5’6”), Amina Blue (5’1”) or Lottie Moss (5’6”). Instagram helps to demonstrate the audience that size and height don't matter as much as people think it does if the model knows what she is doing and has an engaging personality, especially when it comes to photo and video content.

New Opportunities Thanks to Online Shopping

When it comes to shopping, particularly online, we are more concerned with how the apparel looks on girls our size than with how they appear on the rack. The average American woman is 5’4” and not 5’9”. The online retailer ASOS is the perfect example, they show their Petite Collection actually on petite models and provide the model’s height, which helps customers project themselves. Given how difficult it is for smaller models to get signed to an agency, it may become difficult for brands to find models for their Petite collections. This void provides an excellent chance for modeling agencies to begin seeking petite models and recognize shifts in the modeling world.

Fashion should represent and serve everyone, as it is a perfect tool to make the world more beautiful and inclusive. The fashion industry needs diversity because acceptance follows representation. I believe that today’s modeling should focus on charisma and talent rather than body requirements. Although there are issues with petite model inclusivity throughout modeling agencies, some potential avenues exist to break into the industry at large. If you are an aspiring petite model, building a social media presence and working directly with brands can help kickstart a career. Despite this, agencies should start recognizing the potential petite models. There is a market for everyone, and nobody should ever let stereotypical beauty standards let them stop from pursuing their dreams. Believing in yourself is a powerful mindset that can help you unlock limitless opportunities.