Asian And Black Models

[Urban Stylin]

I know this is stale news but in case you ve noticed black and asian models are being given a raw deal.There are many models of chinese,arab,african,somali etc descent who only end up becoming commercial or even never really making it.
The only asian mod on the top 50 is ai and maybe devon as for blacks we have about 6!
What do you think is to blame the models,designers or fashion people like editors and others or even the general public and their negative attitudes to these races?
Tell me whats on your mind.

 

[ultramarine]

Well .. as far as I know ... designers pick the models ... though I don't share the "it's XXXX to blame" for it ... I'm the proactive kind of person ... don't shop from brands you differ values with ...

 

[Serena]

i understand where you coming from, Equana, but things are becoming different lately. i mean, Estee lauder is using Liya as their cover girl! that's progress, IMO.
mags like US Elle use black/latin models in every issue. With Asian models is not as simple, may be because it's easier to find a very tall Scandinavian or Slavic girl than a very tall Asian girl, although that's changing little by little too.
at the same time, magazines like Honey or Essence don't usually use non-black models, from what i've saw, so it's all depends on the marketing, IMo...

 

[Oria]

Originally posted by Serena@Sep 30th, 2003 - 10:15 am
i understand where you coming from, Equana, but things are becoming different lately. i mean, Estee lauder is using Liya as their cover girl! that's progress, IMO.
mags like US Elle use black/latin models in every issue. With Asian models is not as simple, may be because it's easier to find a very tall Scandinavian or Slavic girl than a very tall Asian girl, although that's changing little by little too.
at the same time, magazines like Honey or Essence don't usually use non-black models, from what i've saw, so it's all depends on the marketing, IMo...

Essence Magazine like Latina Magazine were created for a market that was often overlooked, so I wouldn't expect to find non-black/Latina models and or people in their mags unless its pure advertisement. Now Latina magazine is kind of dates, because there is Vogue Espanol, Glamour Espanol etc. But before they decided to do this there was a need.

Honey Magazine has changed it's target market too many times to comment, but I've seen black, Latina, Asian models in their mag.

I still find some things wierd, in a global and diverse world as we have (to me) there should be no "firsts" especially not in fashion.

Here is an interesting slide show on race and fashion, gives a timeline.

Time Magazine

 

[PradaP]

you forgot Ai, she's in the top 50 too

 

[Urban Stylin]

Originally posted by eguana@Sep 30th, 2003 - 7:03 am
I know this is stale news but in case you ve noticed black and asian models are being given a raw deal.There are many models of chinese,arab,african,somali etc descent who only end up becoming commercial or even never really making it.
The only asian mod on the top 50 is ai and maybe devon as for blacks we have about 6!
What do you think is to blame the models,designers or fashion people like editors and others or even the general public and their negative attitudes to these races?
Tell me whats on your mind.

Well apart from ai theres really no one else even devon decided to run to movies.I think we are just living indenial but theres a very serious issue here.

 

[Cicciolina]

There are actually many tall Asian girls - it depends which part of Asia (some parts of China have girls who are easily 180cm plus). I find it hard to ever imagine any Asian models on the cover of magazines or any print advertisements - someone mentioned Liya and Naomi, who both have done very well. Ai is doing some, but unfortunately, I don't think she'll be given a Vogue cover anytime soon I don't think one can blame any one person/group of people on this.

 

[Serena]

Originally posted by Cicciolina@Oct 1st, 2003 - 8:00 am
There are actually many tall Asian girls - it depends which part of Asia (some parts of China have girls who are easily 180cm plus). I find it hard to ever imagine any Asian models on the cover of magazines or any print advertisements - someone mentioned Liya and Naomi, who both have done very well. Ai is doing some, but unfortunately, I don't think she'll be given a Vogue cover anytime soon I don't think one can blame any one person/group of people on this.

Ai was on a cover of Surface, i believe, last year. Vogue lately hardly has any models on a cover at all, it's all celebrities anyway!

 

[Urban Stylin]

hi oria how comes the time article cant open?

 

[Oria]

Originally posted by eguana@Oct 2nd, 2003 - 1:40 am
hi oria how comes the time article cant open?

I dunno, it was there and opening when I posted it (sorry about that), perhaps they only keep links open for a certain amount of time, but Liya Kebede was the first face you saw and it went through a timeline of Black women in fashion.

Try this maybe this will help, if you try it today lol.

http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/

 

[Urban Stylin]

thanks

 

[Urban Stylin]

that was some article!Actually all their articles are really nice and the photos are very clear!
Yall shd go to the site

 

[Meg]

I'm disappointed that their aren't more native americans in the modelling industry. I think they are actually an untapped modelling resource. I'm from a place with a high aboriginal population and many are VERY slender and have high cheekbones, good complexions and nice long dark hair. Not saying all natives do however i have seen the slender/cheekbones trait runs through many.

 

[ultramarine]

Originally posted by mehg@Oct 3rd, 2003 - 9:14 am
I'm disappointed that their aren't more native americans in the modelling industry. I think they are actually an untapped modelling resource. I'm from a place with a high aboriginal population and many are VERY slender and have high cheekbones, good complexions and nice long dark hair. Not saying all natives do however i have seen the slender/cheekbones trait runs through many.

I haven't seen that many tall native americans .. I mean .. have you see the ones from mayan/aztec descent? They're short!
About the high cheekbones and the straight black hair ... you're so right!
*feels proud of being 1/4 native american*

 

[Meg]

Originally posted by blumarine+Oct 4th, 2003 - 1:30 am--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(blumarine @ Oct 4th, 2003 - 1:30 am)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-mehg@Oct 3rd, 2003 - 9:14 am
I'm disappointed that their aren't more native americans in the modelling industry. I think they are actually an untapped modelling resource. I'm from a place with a high aboriginal population and many are VERY slender and have high cheekbones, good complexions and nice long dark hair. Not saying all natives do however i have seen the slender/cheekbones trait runs through many.

I haven't seen that many tall native americans .. I mean .. have you see the ones from mayan/aztec descent? They're short!
About the high cheekbones and the straight black hair ... you're so right!
*feels proud of being 1/4 native american* [/b][/quote]
hehe you should feel proud! Well I'm from Canada, and the ones where I'm from range in height from short to tall. not just short!

 

[SiennaInLondon]

Absolutely!! The situation is bad enough for black models but at least they are represented. Oriental models occur even less frequently but there are a few. Girls from the Indian subcontinent (with the sole exception of Ujjwala) are one in a zillion although hopefully Aishwariya and the Bollywood wave will change that. And what about the ethnicities designers just don't know exist -despite their beauty: Mongols, Aborigines, Native Americans, Inuuits. SHAME on fashion. This is the one area that is the main criticism I have of fashion. I think the great think about fashion is that where it was once divisive (in class terms) it is not an equaliser. A love of fashion brings all women together no matter their background. However it should be more representative. Although there is hope -a few years ago there wouldn't even have been the Latino girls we have today

 

[Terrima183]

My defense is just to not buy anything from labels who categorically ignore diversity. Take Prada for instance. Can someone remind me of the last time they had a non-white model in their show?

It may have been less than a decade ago but that's still too long. You can blame Russel Marsh (casting director) or you can look at the big picture but you won't see me in Prada anytime soon...(although the new parfum smells divine, arghh! )

(or unless they put me in the show, but I prob. have the wrong skin tone for next season's pallete or whatever B$%# S%&$ excuse they come up with!... )

One would hope that these things change but until we stop chalking it up to coincidence and speak out, the bigotry will continue.

 

[Urban Stylin]

true the designers should wake up and notice that minority groups have changed. their buying power has more than doubled...unless of course someoen doesnt want to cheapen the image of their product

i mean ai, naomi, liya and ujiwala>>>

 

[cerise]

I just saw a banana republic billboard with an Asian woman on it and i was really surprised...and then I was angry that i was surprised. It shouldn't be so rare that it's shocking to see an Asian on a billboard.

Aside from not buying those who do not use a more diverse array of models we should also support those who do. I love Miguel Adrover's shows because he uses real people who are ALL beautiful because of their diversity and not in spite of it. He also is not caught up over height as an excuse not to use models of different ethnicities. His shows are way more interesting to me than the wildest Galliano show will ever be because of the models he uses and not just because of the clothes. I think he is really bold to do what he does on the runway.

There are a few shows that like to have a look as if the same girl is walking down the runway in each outfit. Okay so it makes a statement on the runway but the people who actually buy the clothes, the actual marketplace, is so diverse that it's actually ridiculous to cater to such a small slice of the market. It seems like alot of designers are trying to appeal to a more diverse audience by creating inexpensive lines. Now they just have to wake up to the realization that we are ethnically diverse and not just economically diverse. I think the designers market a white image because they think white means mainstream and that's where the dollars are. But realistically the mainstream is actually ALL of us. Hip hop fashion taking over the mainstream market should prove to everyone that whites will buy clothing even if the package that sells it is a person of color.
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[purplelucrezia]

Originally posted by SiennaInLondon@Oct 20 2004, 02:23 PM
And what about the ethnicities designers just don't know exist -despite their beauty: Mongols, Aborigines, Native Americans, Inuuits.

Really, Mongolian people are just so beautiful... That's actually one of the reasons I'd like to go there, to be honest. It's so sad that we keep seeing the same faces over and over in fashion.
I've come up with a bit of theory though about why this is. I was just thinking that although the process has been indeed slow, the film industry does seem to be slightly more open to more people of different backgrounds. Maybe the modeling world is slower to change because it's not as mainstream or on such a huge scale as that of the movies. Outside of fashion circles, who actually knows the names of the major models. In films, the public is more likely to notice and to perhaps care enough to show that they want changes. If more people don't know about or don't seem that interested in modeling, what's going to make them want to change anything? I suppose they do what sells.