Naturalizer, a lead brand in the Caleres portfolio, has debuted its global inclusivity ambassador collective with founding members Deepica Mutyala and Lauren Chan. This collective propels the brand’s nearly 100-year commitment to creating a more comfortable future for women by designing shoes to the contours of a woman’s foot. Naturalizer continues its focus on representation and size access for every woman to feel seen in fashion.
The mission of the ambassador collective is to amplify Naturalizer’s female-first vision, generating meaningful and deep conversations around advancing inclusivity in fashion. The first two collective members, Mutyala and Chan, will bring that narrative forward through their combined power and reach alongside a digital campaign and event series that will unfold over the next 12 months and kick off in September.
Naturalizer has partnered with the Confident Collective to lead live, in-person, conversations coast to coast, which will air on the podcast, featuring Mutyala and Chan on changing the narrative around inclusivity in fashion with press and community events in New York and Los Angeles. Both women, and future additions to the collective, are authentic champions of inclusivity.
Mutyala, founder of beauty brand Live Tinted, said in a press statement: “If it doesn’t feel like I’m making a difference in the world, I don’t want to do it. This feels genuine and purposeful to my goals. I hope we’re leading by example to show other brands that inclusivity is important to spotlight so that one day we don’t even have to have these conversations. It’s just the norm in society.”
Chan, model, entrepreneur and inclusivity advocate, said in a press statement: “My career has been spent trying to make the world a better place for people who have been marginalized through fashion. And I’m still fighting tooth and nail to be included, to make space for other women when I get included. To me, inclusivity will be reached when all kinds of people see themselves reflected in the culture, whether that’s through brands or media. And I feel like here we’re doing our part to make that happen.”
The new Contoured Calf Collection will be supported by a dedicated campaign that features Chan and other thought leaders, titled ‘United in Fashion’ – uniting women from narrow to extra wide width with each woman sharing their voice in provoking greater access to fashion that fits more women. Participating women include CeCe Olissa (founder of CurvyCon), Elizabetta Dessy (model and former Olympic swimmer) and Khrystyana (body inclusivity champion and creator of Real Catwalk). The campaign takes shape as a movement, inspiring others to join the conversation and be change-makers working toward more accessible fashion for all.
Natelle Baddeley, chief product officer, Brand Portfolio, Caleres, said in a press statement: “We credit our longevity to the discipline of constant cultural evolution against a very singular brand promise. The more voices we can include in the conversations, the bigger impact we can make. Being synonymous with inclusivity is authentic to the very nature of who we are and have always been. Comfort for all is what inspires us. We believe this brand promise resonates with every woman.”
