The number of curve models is shrinking on international runways, placing size diversity under scrutiny at Australian Fashion Week next month. Only 2 per cent of models at the most recent fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris were midsize (an Australian size 10 to 16), with only 0.3 per cent plus-size, according to Vogue’s size inclusivity report. Representation of models above a size 8 has dwindled since 2021, the same year that the weight-loss drug Wegovy was approved for use in the US and Ozempic rose in popularity. “There has been a shift in the industry where people have pulled back,” says Australian curve model Natalie Wakeling. “Everything seems to be going back to the ’90s. The waif is back. But that’s what the fashion industry is saying. We know that the waif doesn’t represent all women.” Last year research from the body-positive fashion app Mys Tyler, verified by global research firm Insights Exchange, shows that the average Australian woman wears a size 16.