Many of us see mannequins as articulated dolls that are supposed to capture our attention with the apparel that they are wearing. We’re so used to them standing in one place and posing in the same way that when we see a strange-looking model, we can’t help but stop and stare. 

Shops use them not only to show off the best clothing they can offer but also to share their brand values. We reached out to Adam Moon, an executive creative director at Fusion, the world’s largest maker of custom mannequins. 

Over the past 30 years, the company has evolved into a creative design studio that has been manufacturing larger-than-life displays and producing a variety of mannequin collections. Their most recent one is called Prism which consists of the first gender non-conforming mannequins. 

He was kind enough to share some insights about the part these immobile figures play in the retail industry. Talking about shop owners who are trying to attract buyers with unusual-looking mannequins, Moon said that there’s always a desire from stores of "how to best represent their brand and aesthetic through the mannequins they utilize."

"Sometimes doing something forward-thinking or unusual will catch the attention of a potential customer," Moon added. And as we can see from this list, there are plenty of unique ideas shop managers can use to stand out from the crowd. 

When asked about the importance of mannequins to the industry, the creative director said that it’s definitely a key piece in the retail puzzle. "[They] offer brands the opportunity to tell their story while also offering customers the ability to see the latest trends, styling techniques, and fit," he explained. 

Still, there’s the never-ending dialogue about the unrealistic beauty standards and unhealthy body sizes that mannequins represent. More often than not they show the ultra-thin ideal which could contribute to various mental health problems and eating disorders. 

Eric Robinson, a behavioral scientist with a background in experimental psychology, conducted a study about how fashion mannequins communicate dangerously thin body ideals. He and his colleagues analyzed 58 mannequins in fashion stores on the high streets of two cities in England, Liverpool and Coventry.

"What we found was that all of the female mannequins in these shops had body sizes that corresponded to that of an underweight human. We didn’t find a single female mannequin that was a normal body size on display," he wrote. Yet, most of the male mannequins didn’t look underweight: "only 8% of those surveyed were too thin."

However, Adam Moon mentioned that the idea of changing unrealistic beauty standards is absolutely evolving within the industry. "Inclusivity and body positivity is a large part of every brand’s retail strategy, and this definitely applies to the mannequins retailers develop for their stores."

He continued: "Whether through representing diverse body shapes and sizes, the differently abled, or gender non-conformity, mannequins are a vital component to every brand and every retailer."