The inaugural Fat Fashion Show in Northwest Arkansas on March 21 celebrated fashion that highlights body diversity and representation, drawing more than 250 attendees.
The event was hosted by University of Arkansas senior Annalize Robins, using their proxy, and local physician Katie “Fitz” Fitzwilson, using her proxy. The show had a transit show next to the area where vendors could sell their wares and cooked food, giving attendees a different experience. Vendors sold handmade products and food was provided by Handshake, the restaurant at the Fayetteville Public Library.
Fat Fashion Show founders Annalize Robins (left) and Katie “Fitz” Fitzwilson (right) hold closing remarks at the end of the show.
Robins, an apparel sales and product development major, said she came up with the idea for the show after organizing various fashion-related events on campus. Robins founded the sustainable fashion club at the beginning of their sophomore year and served as president until fall 2025, and now helps advise it.
“I wanted to do something that felt fun and community-driven,” Robins said. “This is a fashion show that happens to be fat.”
The Creative Exchange Fund sponsored the event at The Medium, a program that funds creatives, and Robins said the support helped them organize the event over the past few months. The funds helped the group find a place and pay for their models.
“We always said if we had the space and the funding, we could make something like this happen,” Robins said. “That support made it possible.”
A model walks the runway at The Medium in Springdale.
The show focused on different body types, highlighting discussions around the representation of larger bodies in fashion and media. Robins said focusing on the body fat, rather than just adding it, was a key factor in the design.
They also noted that access to clothing can be limited for some people, especially in high-end stores where there may not be as many choices as sizes.
“People have to work hard to find clothes that fit their style,” Robins said. “That’s why events like this are important.”
The event included various vendors displaying their products before the show for attendees to view and purchase. Leea Johnson, a social worker, was selling jewelry and said the money would help them get a top surgery.
Johnson said the event provides a space where multiple identities can be presented simultaneously.
“I think about the intersection of paths,” Johnson said. “Spaces like this allow people to express themselves in different ways.”
The show featured a variety of looks from local designers, including looks from The Library Vintage, a business focused on community building and resource sharing. The store’s designers Sav Burns and Meg Carpenter said their work deliberately deviates from mainstream fashion by featuring pieces that people wouldn’t normally see. Carpenter explained their goal is to create pieces that feel more comfortable than restrictive.
“I want people to feel inspired and maybe a little bit confused,” Carpenter said. “Like a sense of wonder.”
Burns also addressed common misconceptions about plus-size fashion.
Burns said: “People think fat people want to cover their bodies. We think people should wear clothes, not wear people.
The runway featured a variety of different body types, wearing looks that focused on individual looks. The look consisted of crochet dresses, maxi satin dresses and two colored dresses.
Natalie Seawright, a model for the show, said being part of an event focused on the fat body felt different from her past fashion experiences.
A model walks the runway at The Medium in Springdale.
Seawright said: “It’s very empowering. Bodies look different; we’re not all size 0.
Seawright, who is a preschool teacher, said she became interested in fashion at an early age but rarely saw representation of her body type.
“Everything was very focused on being thin,” she said. “There was no good place for big fashion, especially for young people.”
He said that representation in shopping centers is still an issue. She felt that while there are online options for plus-size people, it’s not the same as the in-store experience.
During the show, Seawright said he felt a mix of nerves and excitement.
He said: “The butterflies hit just once before I walked out. But once I was on the runway, the energy from the crowd was really good.”
Robins said the goal of the event was to create a space where models and designers could interact more directly than at a typical fashion show. They say the models have to decide what to wear, and that’s unusual, but it was an important part of the show.
The Fat Fashion Show logo appears on the quilt.
Robins says attendance at the show has exceeded their initial expectations, with ticket sales increasing in the days leading up to the event. They said that the number of people who gathered shows that they have great interest in the upcoming shows.
“I think there’s potential for it to grow,” Robins said. “There are a lot of people who want to get involved.”
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