Retail store Target has announced it will introduce size 16 mannequins across its stores, as part of its commitment to represent the diversity of Australian women.
Here at TheCarousel we applaud Target for representing women of different shapes and figures – and hope that other retailers will follow suit.
The mannequins, which have been produced specifically for Target, first launched at its Chadstone store on September 10 followed by a roll-out of mannequins in over 49 stores nationwide.
The initiative will see the introduction of at least two mannequins in each store, and is part of Target’s continued commitment to ensuring it represents the diversity of its consumers – particularly women.
Stuart Machin, Managing Director at Target Australia, believes that initiatives like the mannequins are a small but vital step in continuing Target’s promise to make quality style and fashion not only more affordable but also more accessible and relevant for women.
“The average customer is a size 14, so it’s baffling that the Australian retail industry still uses a standard size 8 mannequin when we are merchandising product. We want to change the way Australian retailers represent women, and we hope that these mannequins will help to start a new conversation in the fashion industry, and trigger some change.
According to Machin – this commitment doesn’t stop with the mannequins but is something the retailer has always embraced – and plans to bring to life even further in the future.
“We know how important it is to be accessible for real Australians. We’ve always tried to cater for all sizes – from introducing our petites line with our Dannii for Target range right through to the Belle Curves collection that caters for women up to size 26. The real-sized mannequins will take this commitment to diversity one step further, by helping every-day women to accurately see what clothes will look like on themselves and on a body that they can identify with.”
After Chadstone, Target will install the mannequins in a further 49 stores this Spring including Melbourne CBD, Penrith, Chadstone, Bondi, Geelong, Midland, Chermside, Brisbane CBD, Joondalup and Perth.
