When we asked five individuals — Kaia, Michael, Mekhi, Devine, and Micah — “Have you ever felt unseen or misrepresented by the fashion industry? What did that feel like?” their answers painted a clear picture. Visibility still is not a given. Representation remains selective. Many are still searching for spaces that truly reflect who they are.
Kaia: “You start to wonder if there is space for you at all.”
Kaia shared that yes, they have felt unseen by the fashion industry. As someone trying to break in, they often notice how the same types of bodies are represented over and over again. “You only ever see one or certain body types wearing the clothes,” they said. “It is disheartening. You start to wonder if there is space for you at all.” For them, the absence feels not just personal but systemic, a signal that the industry still has not made room for bodies that exist outside of its narrow norms.
Michael: “I wanted to wear nice clothes, but I had no options.”
Michael reflected on how these feelings started young. “As a kid, I wanted to wear nice clothes, but I had no options,” he said. “I felt rebellious because I wanted to express myself, but I was in a toxic environment at school.” He shared how boys wearing heels, something that represented freedom and style to him, became a target of ridicule. “It was something people hated on,” he explained. The message was clear. Being yourself came at a cost. The fashion industry’s silence on that reality only made it louder.
Devine: “I feel like that all the time.”
Devine did not hesitate. “I feel like that all the time.” For them, it is not just about being unseen, it is about being reduced to a template. “In general, it is always the same things in brands,” they said. “The same oversized boxy tee.” For someone craving individuality and creative freedom, fashion’s repetition can feel suffocating. “It is like they are designing for a formula, not for real people,” Devine shared.
Micah: “The mainstream conversation does not include us.”
While Micah said they have not felt misrepresented directly, the absence is still loud. “There are no Black people,” they said plainly. “And the mainstream conversation around nonbinary identity is nonexistent.” Micah emphasized that even when fashion tries to embrace inclusivity, it often fails to create real space for intersectional identities. “It is like we are not part of the story. That invisibility is still a form of erasure.”
Mekhi: “I am trying to be part of something bigger.”
For Mekhi, fashion is not just about personal style, it is about purpose. “I am trying to be part of something bigger than just owning the clothes,” he said. When fashion ignores people like him, it does not just leave them out of a trend. It blocks them from participating in a movement. Visibility, for him, means being seen not just as a consumer but as a contributor to the culture.
Why These Conversations Matter
These voices make one thing clear. People are tired of being asked to find themselves in a system that never reflected them to begin with. It is not about token inclusion. It is about reshaping the industry around lived experience, not aesthetic assumptions.
At Caxology, we listen. These interviews are not just stories. They are signals for what comes next. Every collection we drop, every piece we design, and every space we curate is meant to challenge fashion’s limits and offer something new. Not just for show. For real people.
Xoxo,
Marsss
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