Representation matters.

On Saturday 14th July, a momentous event took place in central London. Organised by model and activist Khrystyana, alongside volunteer coordinators (including myself), 115 people descended onto Trafalgar square for a ‘flash mob’ style catwalk. But this wasn’t any normal fashion catwalk….this was #TheRealCatwalk.

With the aim of representing and celebrating people of all races, sizes, abilities, sexualities and genders, #TheRealCatwalk showed the fashion and media worlds that all people, no matter how far they strayed from the accepted ideal of beauty, were worthy of being seen. 115 people walked proudly and defiantly in their swimwear/underwear (purposefully at the same time that Miami Swim Week was taking place on the other side of the pond) and showed hundreds of onlookers that there was no shame in looking different, in being fat, in being trans, in having scars or disfigurements or disabilities, in being an individual! It was utterly inspiring!

The event was a huge success, with thousands of posts on Instagram and features on London Live and BBC London (take a look here).

Photos by Sophie Megan Davis.