Snapped! and be Snapped

Snapped! is a new exhibition by British photographer Rankin at the National Portrait Gallery in London on February 11 2011. Exploring the imagery of women in fashion, his photographs feature women older, bigger and darker than those normally seen in advertising and editorial.

Sheila Atim in Stella McCartney

The Gallery will have special modelling scouts present for a live casting where you can be photographed by fashion and portrait photographer Alistair Guy and featured in i-D’s online style bible. So dress to impress! 

Snapped! is part of a project called All Walks Beyond the Catwalk which promotes the use of models of different shapes, sizes, ages and colours to show that you don’t have to be young, skinny, white and airbrushed to be as beautiful and fashionable.

Amira Ahmed in Osman Yousefzada

At the moment it seems to be in fashion to use women of different shapes, sizes and colours – non model sized Beyonce walked for Tom Ford in New York, plus size Gossip singer Beth Ditto opened and closed for John Paul Gaultier in Paris and in London Giles Deacon, now Creative Director at Ungaro, closed his show with a 71 year old former model.

Daphne Selfe in Vivienne Westwood

We hope that this diversity continues and isn’t just a fleeting fashion moment. There are beautiful women of all shapes and colours out there and perhaps exhibitions like Snapped! will help change the narrow and limited portrayal of women in fashion.

Natasha Ndlovu in Matthew Williamson