This fashion week, we’re seeing a lot of surprises on the runway—from the return of ’90s supermodels at Tom Ford to the political statements made by celebrities at Opening Ceremony. But J.Crew took it a step further by casting real people instead of models for its Spring 2017 show. That’s right—all 64 people were actually friends, family and team members of the company spanning all ages, sizes and ethnicities. The lineup included 13- to 70-year-olds who took on the titles student, mother and artist, among other occupations. One mom-to-be, J.Crew stylist Jenny Kang, wore a periwinkle jumpsuit and blogger-slash-photographer Tamu McPherson rocked a lace-up khaki skirt. This switch-up is perfect for a mass market brand whose customers can relate to their models and another impactful step toward greater diversity in the industry at large. See photos from the presentation here.
