Racial Diversity In Modeling

[fullfrontal]

The one thing that crosses my mind on this topic is how Prada has not used Alek or Liya in particular. Prada seems to like the "simple" looking girls (i.e Daria) in their shows and perhaps Alek is too striking for Prada, but Liya fits that mold and has been overlooked. When I started reading the thread I though surely Liya has been in a Prada show. But I guess not.

And aside from her being a woman of color, Liya has been one of the top girls in runway work and if I'm not mistaken I seems to me that Prada is keen on booking the top girls to walk in their shows. But again somehow Liya has been overlooked.

I do understand the marketing aspect but I think Liya's look is pretty versatile and I'm not sure that a customer would see her in a Prada show and be turned off because her look doesn't "speak" to them. Actually, I think we are more model conscious than most of Prada's customers.

[Terrima183]

As a woman of color, I personally have made it a point not to buy from designers who do not include non-white women in their shows.

Years ago, I wrote a letter to Abercrombie and Fitch asking them why all but the last 2 pgs of their catalogue were devoted to white kids basking nearly nude in various A+F articles. The b#$%%@%s offered me a place in the catalogue, as if I'd want anything to do with them! I was shocked but not totally because my return address at the time happened to be one of the top prep schools in the country.

I had made it clear that there is a black upper class that does make market impact. When I tell my friends about Prada not using black girls for six years, you better believe they're not going to buy it until they do. And even though it might be a small impact, it's an impact all the same.

Say what you will about Euro. designers' visions not including non-white models but please do not ignore people like John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, Pierre Cardin et al.

[brian]

this is the thread i was looking for!!

i posted in another prada thread that prada indeed has had a black model on their runway.... naomi campbell was at the spring 1992 show... but i don't know if that even really "counts" or not

[jssy4eva]

wow...this so randomly came up again......brian....can you post the pic...i know that prada has used black models...but on CNN, they said that in six years...there has not been a women of color on the runway...

[motaman8165]

Liya did a show not to long ago it was the one 2 seasons ago

[jssy4eva]

really....post a pic.....

[brian]

Originally Posted by motaman8165

Liya did a show not to long ago it was the one 2 seasons ago

i don't remember that??

[jssy4eva]

i don't think that she did....the CNN piece talkin about black models not being included in shows, was about her and how even though she is a top model, she still has a lot of barriers.....i'll find a link to it

[jssy4eva]

Here it is

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/02/1...king.barriers/

[motaman8165]

Tankz JSSY i was wrong

[brian]

thanks for that link, jssy

[snowqueen]

never noticed but now you mention it ......... !!

[Andro]

Originally Posted by brian

this is the thread i was looking for!!

i posted in another prada thread that prada indeed has had a black model on their runway.... naomi campbell was at the spring 1992 show... but i don't know if that even really "counts" or not

FALL '97 PRADA show- Naomi Campbell


Did anyone see the episode of Fashionfile for Prada fall-winter 1997? Naomi did an interview backstage at the Prada show describing how much she loved the clothes and their vintagy aesthetics.

[Andro]

Naomi Campbell walking for the autumn/winter '97-98 Prada Milano show.






link- http://www.firstview.com/WRTWfall97/PRADA/P111.html

[Andro]

link- http://www.firstview.com/WRTWfall97/PRADA/P176.html