New York Fashion Week is one of the largest fashion shows in the world, alongside Paris Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, and Milan Fashion Week. It is a huge event for models and designers around the world to showcase their skills in New York City. With an event this large, representation for minority groups is extremely important, LGBTQ+ representation being one of the most common sights.

DapperQ, a queer fashion company that had its designs showcased at NYFW last Thursday with eight other designers, describes itself as “a preeminent voice in queer fashion and beauty.“ Anita Dolce Vita, the owner of DapperQ, says “DapperQ is a queer fashion revolution, one of the most stylish forms of protest of our generation.“ Their goal is to ungender fashion, create a safe space for queer individuals, and make commentary on politics surrounding the LGBTQ+ community in our society. The DapperQ show had a multitude of different models from different racial groups, LGBTQ+ identities, and body shapes, including a disabled model. DapperQ values inclusivity and aims to be as diverse as possible, and you can truly see that showcased on the runway.

Along with the DapperQ show, Kate Spade modeled its spring collection with the help of Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer with 7.7 million followers on TikTok. Mulvaney, who has become famous for her journey into “girlhood“ series, has made a safe space on her social media platforms for other transgender and gender non-conforming folks. For many people, she inspires them to be more confident and comfortable in their own skin, despite the world around them.

Minority groups being put under a spotlight in events like these are not only important for the groups being represented but also show the beauty of these communities to others who may not acknowledge them otherwise. Representation like this becoming more and more common every day shows how far we’ve come as a society and allows us to be more open-minded when it comes to culture outside our own.