Rebecca Minkoff Features Working, Breastfeeding Moms at NYFW
Rebecca Minkoff’s recent Spring/Summer 2020 presentation at New York Fashion Week went where few designers have gone before, featuring a breastfeeding model wearing a dress from her collection. Model and mother Mara Martin breastfed her daughter Aria during the presentation with magenta breast pumps sitting next to her in collaboration with Medela.
More: Hilary Duff Gets Real About Breastfeeding
A Breastfeeding Trailblazer
Martin penned to her Instagram more about the designer’s decision to showcase her breastfeeding: “She wanted me to represent the working mom for her during part of her show, because that’s what I am. As women we wear many hats, Rebecca being a prime example of that. She is a mother, wife, designer, business woman, and all around boss. She is the example I am constantly looking up to.”
But this wasn’t the first time the 33-year-old meshed motherhood and modeling. In July 2018, she was one of was one of 16 finalists chosen to take part in a Sports Illustrated fashion show in Miami where she walked down the catwalk in a bikini while breastfeeding then five-month-old Aria.
In a second post about the show, Mara opened up about juggling work and parenthood: “Being a mom is the hardest job in the world, and then adding on trying to work as a model among other things I’m trying to do, doesn’t make it any easier. Being able to represent ALL working moms out there made this show so special for us. Shout out to all the working moms out there, we see you!”
Behind Minkoff’s Choice
Similarly, Minkoff shared similar sentiments about the presentation on her Instagram: “An ode to all the modern, working women. We stand with you.”
While the fashion industry has been critiqued over the years for lack of inclusivity and diversity, one category that has remained underrepresented is breastfeeding mothers. Unsurprisingly, both moms and fashionistas alike have exhibited an overwhelmingly positive response to Mara’s inclusion in the show, sharing their praise on social media for Minkoff.
So why did she decide to take a stand? For the mother of three, the decision to showcase a breastfeeding mother was based off of her own personal experiences of managing a business and being a mother. In a January interview with Romper, the 39-year-old explained her passion behind changing the lack of inclusivity in the workplace for nursing moms: “Either we all begin to stand up and make changes in our workplace for people to be sensitive to this, or we do it in our damn meetings. No fairy pumper CEO is coming to change the system and make it OK, so demand that important meeting, get out around your schedule, and plan this in advance of your return to work, or take the hands-free pump and cover and pump like a boss in all your meetings. I do, and have done it in rooms of men and board meetings. Mostly because I had to, but also to set an example for how we work and get our milk, too.”
Hopefully, this will inspire change for other designers to do similarly in the future during fashion shows and presentation!
Looking for more celeb takes on motherhood? Mindy Kaling Discusses What She Didn't Know About Life with a Toddler.
