The “Recession of Size Inclusion” in Fashion—And What Happens Next (with Lauren Chan)

Has fashion looked skinnier than ever lately? You’re not imagining it. After years of progress, brands are snapping back to casting “straight size” models by default. In this episode of the Back Row Podcast, Amy Odell talks with model, writer, and size-inclusion advocate Lauren Chan about why the industry is in what she calls a recession of size inclusion—and what that means for who gets seen and paid. Lauren shares a fashion week story that captures the problem perfectly: a major entertainment cover shoot featuring a size-12/14 talent had no designer samples available—because the samples that arrived were still size 0–4. Lauren and Amy also talk about the economics of runway samples, the cultural impact of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, what the rise of AI models could mean for representation in fashion and media, and more. The episode ends with a bigger question: how do we push the industry to care again—and who pays the price when it doesn’t? CHAPTERS 00:00 Fashion’s “recession of size inclusion” 04:00 Why size-12+ talent still can’t get dressed 11:30 How the runway sets the standard for everyone 18:45 GLP-1s, thinness, and cultural backlash 26:00 AI models and the future of representation Links & Resources: Back Row newsletter https://www.backrow.net Back Row podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/back-row-with-amy-odell/id1749121778 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7qHOm8IBOKT53FqUstnZCm Amy Odell - Instagram https://www.instagram.com/instamyodell/