This Fashion Brand Is Under Fire For Making A Separate Instagram Account For Plus Sized Models

 

Slowly but surely fashion brands are beginning to be more diverse in their campaigns. The idea that there is only one kind of beauty is being quashed and retailers’ accounts are finally featuring people of colour, plus size women, women with disabilities and lots of other types of beautiful women.

Sometimes though, a brand’s efforts can feel a bit forced, or like tokenism, or they miss the mark completely in their attempt. This brings us to online clothing store Oh Polly, which recently set up a separate account to its’s original – which currently has two million followers.

The second account, Oh Polly Inclusive, boasted ‘ZERO% Tolerance,’ said it was ‘100% Inclusive’  while featuring plus size models. The irony being that when you make a separate account in order to be inclusive, you’re doing quite the opposite.

A number of shoppers called the brand out on social media.

What in the segregation is this. What makes these women not suitable for your main page @ohpolly ? Ohpollyinclusive?? Who approved this? pic.twitter.com/2HXujEE9j9

— Alissa Ashley (@alissa_ashleyy) May 13, 2019

oh polly making a separate Instagram to be “inclusive” and show black/curvy girls in their pieces like why could u not just include them in ur actual instagram page ? trash

— james bowman (@jamesb0wman) May 14, 2019

wait so OhPolly thought that creating a whole new insta called ‘Ohpollyinclusive’ is inclusive ??
they have literally ostracised everyone that isn’t skinny or white

— YT: nataleebfitness (@nataleeb14) May 13, 2019

Hi @ohpolly this isnt a way of being ‘inclusive’ it’s called segregation. Creating a whole new page to place black women is disgusting especially when the aesthetic of your main page is white women with dark tans. ?. #poormarketing #ohpolly pic.twitter.com/ixURzMk7Hz

— Christabel Chinouriri (@mschristabelc) May 14, 2019

Ohpolly needs to delete that page immediately and come up with a damn good explanation for even doing that ? like whooo thought that was a good idea?!! I actually love their clothes smh ??‍♀️

— ? THANO$ KNOWLES-CARTER ? (@arnellarmon) May 13, 2019

Following the criticism, Oh Polly deleted the second account and said they’d ‘learn from this mistake’.

“Oh Polly made a serious error of judgement for which we take full responsibility and sincerely apologise. We established a new page with the specific aim of allowing our customers to discuss a wider range of issue,” the company told Buzzfeed.

“We have a close relationship with our customers around the world and always value their feedback. Improving diversity remains an absolute priority for us across all of our channels. We promise to continue listening to everyone in the Oh Polly community and, most importantly, learn from this mistake.”

Try harder next time, please.

Tags:

• Diversity
• Inclusivity
• Oh Polly