It’s been almost a week since writer Tanya Gold published an article in The Telegraph accusing Nike of telling a “dangerous lie” by placing a plus-size mannequin in its London flagship store. Thankfully, the backlash to her unfounded—and unasked for—opinion has been swift and to the point. From Refinery29 to Health magazine, publications across the gamut have published their own takes on the attempted takedown.
All week at Dia&Co HQ, our team has been having their own conversations about how both the Nike mannequin and The Telegraph article made them feel. Here are just a few of their answers. *Condensed and edited for clarity and length.
“I am a fitness professional on the side of what I do and I have people from all shapes, sizes, ages, whatever, that attend my class. Size doesn’t matter. It’s all about how you take care of yourself. You can be plus size, standard size. It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t have any correlation to health. I think it’s absurd.”
Lana, Senior Technical Recruiter
“I think it’s really exciting there’s a plus-size mannequin in the store. Representation is really important because people tend to think that plus-size women aren’t out there working out, and clearly that’s not true. As far as the backlash, whenever something different is proposed, or something that’s not the norm, there’s backlash. I try to not sink into that and to focus on the fact that I’m really excited that a major brand like Nike has a plus-size model in their store, in a crop top and leggings.”
Christine, Assistant Buyer
“I read the backlash as I was finishing my workout at the gym. I go to the gym more than most people do. I can lift more than most men can. I’m proud of myself for that. So to hear that a company like Nike is representing us and my body was phenomenal. But then reading the backlash just truly upset me and disappointed me—that people today could even write that.”
Karolina, CX Social Media Lead
“It’s funny because the same people who often say plus-size people should just get off the couch and be skinny are also the same people who don’t want to see us represented in these spaces. And in athletic stores. So, pick what side you’re on. Also, what I appreciate about Nike is that they’ve launched a couple of controversial campaigns this year—and they’ve never buckled. So, I don’t think Nike has time for your bad opinions.”
Sydney, Communications Manager
What do you think about mannequin-gate? Share your opinions with us on social!
