Redefining the Runway: House of Sheba Brings Size Inclusion to New York Fashion Week
3 min read
Fashion has spent years talking about inclusion, but at The Vanguard Collective, House of Sheba put that conversation directly on the runway. Held September 11 at The Annex in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the independent production brought plus-size models, designers, fashion professionals and supporters together during New York Fashion Week for an afternoon centered on style, visibility and size-inclusive fashion.
House of Sheba presented The Vanguard Collective as a runway experience created to amplify plus-size and Big & Tall fashion while elevating voices that remain underrepresented across the industry. The production also marked House of Sheba’s independent New York Fashion Week debut, bringing founder and creative director Keah Cher’i’s vision to one of fashion’s busiest weeks.
The runway featured women across a range of sizes, shapes and ages, with styling that moved from elegant and polished to bold, playful and sexy. The variety gave the show visual range while allowing each model to bring her own personality to the presentation. The clothes, accessories and individual styling remained at the center as the models worked the room, posed for cameras and interacted with an audience seated only feet away.
The Annex helped create that close connection between the runway and the crowd. High ceilings, skylights and an open layout gave the production room to breathe while maintaining the intimacy of an independent fashion show. Guests could see the details of each look as models moved through the space, turning the runway into an experience that felt immediate and personal.
Hosted by Mallory B., founder of Crusade of Curves, the afternoon was guided with warmth and professionalism. Mina Mills served as the Gold Carpet Pre-Show host and did a phenomenal job making guests feel welcome and comfortable, asking a mix of meaningful and fun questions that allowed personalities to shine before the runway show began.
Jennifer Laws, CEO of Top Line Divas and the production’s Model Coordinator, also played an important role in bringing the runway presentation together. Photography was provided by Money Shawn, also known as Shawn Montgomery, CEO of ThicknThicker LLC, who captured the fashion, personalities and memorable moments throughout the event.
Accessories also played a role in completing the runway looks, including pieces from Lucia Sardana of Lucia Accessories. Handbags, jewelry and other finishing touches added texture to the styling and helped give individual looks their own identity as they moved through the show.
There was also something powerful about seeing plus-size bodies occupy a space associated with New York Fashion Week, luxury and couture. For many people, those worlds still bring to mind a narrow image of who belongs on the runway and who gets to be presented as aspirational. The Vanguard Collective challenged that image simply by filling the room with women whose bodies are too often left out of those conversations.
That sense of recognition extended beyond the models. Plus-size creators and guests in attendance were visibly excited to be included in a fashion space that reflected them. Their reactions added another layer to the afternoon, because representation was not only happening on the runway. It was being felt throughout the room by people who were able to see themselves, their bodies and their style treated as part of the fashion conversation.
About Keah
Keah Cher’i is a fashion designer, creative director, runway producer, former plus-size model and makeup artist with nearly two decades of experience in the fashion industry. She is the Founder and Creative Director of House of Sheba, a size-inclusive fashion house that creates space for plus-size women and Big & Tall men.
Her work has included modeling, design, production and creative direction, with runway experience in the United States, London and Toronto. In September 2026, she marked a new milestone with The Vanguard Collective, House of Sheba’s independent New York Fashion Week debut.
