Diane von Furstenberg Is Fashion Week's Yoda

If you're skeptical of Fashion Week's values and the principles it espouses to women, a letter released to designers and attendees on Tuesday by the Council of Fashion Designers of America president and resident female powerhouse may change your mind. The Huffington Post reports that designer Diane von Furstenberg issued a letter of Fashion Week encouragement via the CFDA website to set several significant objectives for the coming week.

The seasoned sartorial pro not only enforced the importance of wellness for models walking in each show, von Furstenberg also highlighted the necessity for respect and heterogeneity. Call Diane von Furstenberg Yoda, because her words of wisdom are golden for 2015 Fashion Week.

After reminding Fashion Week participants to review the CFDA Health Initiative, which advocates mental and physical well-being for models and designers, von Furstenberg embarked on a concise but impactful discussion of Fashion Week's initiatives. Furstenberg writes,

As we approach New York Fashion Week, let’s remember that beauty is health and health is beauty. It is also important to remember that beauty is diversity and as an industry, we stand by these two principles...Let’s stand together as an industry and do the right thing.

von Furstenberg's earnest and honest words call attention to two of Fashion Week's most significant issues: the body image its models present to the world, and the lack of diversity on the runways. Thankfully, the designer is prescient enough to both acknowledge each problem and issue a call to arms so the fashion industry can rectify them en masse.

If 2014's move towards a greater respect for all genders, clothing sizes, and sexual preferences is any indication, Fashion Week will prove infinitely more reflective of the world outside the Lincoln Center tents. Fashion Week could undoubtably benefit from more models like Rick Owens' powerful and talented step team and Chanel's pregnant, show-closing model. If the delightfully gobsmacking effect of the letter is enough to induce change within the fashion world and on the catwalks, hopefully Fashion Week will indeed be a more diversified and progressive affair this year.