As the fashion industry catches its breath after a whirlwind round of Spring 2019 catwalk shows, it has been revealed that this season was the most diverse yet.

According to The Fashion Spot's latest diversity report, a total of 36.1% of model castings across New York, London, Milan and Paris went to models of color this season -- an increase of 3.6% from the Fall 2018 season.

New York was at the forefront of the movement, with the US city reportedly enjoying its most racially diverse Fashion Week yet. A total of 44.8% of models taking to the catwalks in the Big Apple were women of color, making it the leader by a long shot.

Ads

London followed in second place with a figure of 36.2%, while 32.4% of the models in Paris were women of color, and Milan came in last with just 29.9%. According to the report, the Italian city hosted the only show of the season that failed to feature one model of color -- that of luxury designer Daniela Gregis.

Notable appearances came from supermodels such as the Canadian Winnie Harlow, who racked up 14 shows, and British superstar Adwoa Aboah, who walked for seven houses. 

And it wasn't just racial diversity that improved this season -- the shows also cast more plus size models than ever before. A total of 54 curvy models took to the runway across 15 shows that took place in the four cities; a significant increase from last season, which saw just 30 cast in 10 shows.

Trans women and non-binary models also scored a record high of 91 catwalk appearances this season, walking in a total of 52 shows.