At a moment when fashion feels caught between spectacle and substance, Models.com convened an Industry Access conversation asking a pointed question: Does Fashion Still Know What Women Want? Moderated by Models.com Editorial Director Irene Ojo-Felix, the discussion brought together Vanessa Friedman, Fashion Director and Chief Fashion Critic at The New York Times, and Rachel Scott, founder and creative director of Diotima and newly appointed creative director of Proenza Schouler. Together, they examined an industry defined by creative director churn, viral runway moments, and a visible retreat from commitments to size diversity, observing where women now sit within fashion’s images, systems, and ambitions.

Drawing from Friedman’s long view as one of fashion’s most influential critical voices and Scott’s experience building a values-driven independent brand while stepping into a major luxury house, the conversation moved between critique and possibility. Shifting from the rollback of inclusive casting and the pressure to design for virality, to high fashion standing on the brink of a new creative era, the discussion was a forward-looking exploration of what fashion inherited in the new year and the potential of what it could become. Underscoring it all was the relentless, backbreaking pace of the fashion calendar, raising urgent questions about time, labor, and whether the industry’s structures can truly support the women they claim to serve.