Ondria Hardin

[Legolas]

I agree with everything Mahon said, but we are also forgetting another important point, not only black people live in Africa, there's also an important white population in that continent, so it could have been great if they would have hired a white model like... Candice for example, or Katryn, who are actually from South Africa and I'm sure would have make more sense in the photoshoot since it's actually about some part of their culture, for instance, they know better. Now, of course, as we all know, there's an obvious white supremacy in the industry, so this ed would have been a perfect opportunity to hire a NATURAL black model and promote diversity... so hiring a teenage American white girl and painting her "black" just makes it doubly racist since it's not only discriminating black people, but also white Africans.

And of course Ondria is 100% safe... it's not her fault at all. Well, maybe if some important clients like to avoid working with models who have been involved in more than one controversy, then it could affect her somehow... but I hope that won't be the case.

 

[seahorseinstripe]

i don't see the numore eds as offensive, i'm asian and people put make up on jim sturgess and james d'arcy to look like asian in cloud atlas, people cast chinese actress as japanese in memoirs of a geisha, people cast an englishman as american in batman, so what?
if this ed is offensive and people's feedback is they should hire a black why don't we all say the same with andrej pejic's eds when they dress him as female?

 

[Legolas]

Andrej is practically a girl, androgeny on legs, he's famous because of that, and the eds where he is dressed like a woman are focused on that, from the title to the result, so they end up delivering something coherent... now this ed is called African Queen, first of all, Ondria is not even African! and then, why painting her skin trying to make her look like a black girl if she is everything you want BUT black? it's so stupid! Actually, my biggest complaint of this African Queen ed, is not that the girl that they chose is naturally white, 'cause there are also white African natives all around the world; my problem with it is that if they are promoting African culture, why not hiring an African model? there are plenty of them to choose from, regardless of their skin color, all of them are good enough to represent their culture: Candice, Liya, Katryn, Behati, Ajak, Alek, Herieth, Ataui, etc... To hire a girl from another culture and hide her natural skin color to try to emulate another girl's race, a girl who didn't get opportunity to represent her own culture (or maybe was not even in the options!) just makes the whole thing doubly discriminatory.

 

[nudeunderwater]

Sorry if repost...

Hogan AW13 MASTER 1980 3

LOVE magazine's Vimeo

 

[Slater]

Well that's great for you that you're not offended, but if you can't understand why all of the beautiful black models and aspiring black models out there would be offended by an editorial titled "African Queen" featuring a white teenager painted brown, then you're either incredibly dense or have some sort of malfunctioning empathy gene.

Before I saw the title of the editorial, I thought she was supposed to be some sort of robot or bronze statue.

Ok but does that mean they should have also picked someone who's a "queen" so they don't offend all the the beautiful black queen's and aspiring black queen's out there?

 

[en lice]

I wish her parents/agency had stepped in to say NO NO NO!

I don't know how the booking went, but agents often don't know what the shoot is gonna be about. And the girl doesn't know when she goes there. I also suppose that agents don't ask any previous explanations with such clients. And, in case the model realizes she's asked to do something unacceptable (which I doubt you can do when you're 16), refusing to do it (whatever it is) is always quite a big issue.
The only ones who can be blamed for it is the team that made the story and the magazine editors who agreed to publish it.

Honestly, I’m really tired of this argument. For me, blackface is only offensive when the person in it is fostering some ridiculous stereotype.

Hm, I'd say the editorial is obviously not stereotype-free. Not only is it mixing styles in a tacky way, but it's also building all its "african" story/vibe on turbans and that creepy make-up.

I'm not sure of what the most offensive thing is: the casting or that very western claim to grasp other cultures which is, in my opinion, clearly a sign of a (conscious or not) domination feeling.
I mean I'd probably still find it in poor taste if the model was an african or a black girl.

 

[coco vaughn]

i don't like that African Queen ed either, but i might suspect the reason of why they have chosen a white teenager model: it supposed to be 'intriguing' or 'weird' that they painted her skin, they wanted to make a weird contrast, they totally wanted to transfrom her look into something else, like they could paint her in red or blue, whatever. (well, the title of that ed is still confusing, but i hope my idea is understandable.) that is just my guess.
nonetheless it would be a more tasteful and beautiful editorial with a black model, but at the same time, it would be some kind of else.

 

[Mahon]

Ok but does that mean they should have also picked someone who's a "queen" so they don't offend all the the beautiful black queen's and aspiring black queen's out there?

Oh no, looks like you got me. Given the historical prejudice against queens and the terrible injustices that have been perpetrated upon them, it's good to know they have you out there looking out for them.

Look, just because someone isn't doing Sambo doesn't mean what they're doing isn't racist. Actions and words have implicit meanings because they exist within a greater context. One of the latest dog-whistle messages of American white supremacists is that we need to deny social benefits to single parents. Nothing about race in that sentiment, right? Except that single parents in the US are predominantly non-white. They're attacking single parents because doing so disproportionately affects the races they want to eliminate, and so when taken in context, this sentiment is racist.

The implication of casting Ondria in this editorial and then painting her black is that no actual African women are beautiful enough/have the features/are talented enough models to play an African queen. It is very, very easy to see how a large number of people would be offended.

 

[tangerine]

Let's keep this civil, and let's not broaden the discussion into general politics.

Mahon, I think the first part of your last paragraph is a bit provocative, I think it's a leap to say that they are implying no African women are beautiful enough to play an African queen.

I grew up in the Southern US and any use of blackface on Caucasians is an automatic NO and is invariably perceived as racist. But, that's partly a locality issue and it's hard for me to automatically assume the motives of Numero.

 

[AnastasiaShiko]

lifeinapic.com

 

[Milkita]

so fierce at Fendi backstage !!!

 

[FakeFlower]

Nina Ricci F/W 2013

nowfashion

 

[wangster]

Nina Ricci F/W 13.14 HQ


vogue.it

 

[emmadeelite]

Ondria has just opened Viktor&Rolf F/W 13.14 Paris

Nowfashion.com

 

[ParisianChic]

She actually had look 3, nowfashion just have her picture first.

 

[ParisianChic]

^^second look


nowfashion

 

[wangster]

Too bad she didn't open. She looks amazing

Viktor & Rolf F/W 13.14 HQ + Detail

vogue.it

 

[capt.charly]

*My pics*Viktor & Rolf F/W 13.14 Paris.

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Source : capt.charly (me)

 

[maimon]

haha caught by the busy japanese

 

[maimon]

Viktor & Rolf F/W13


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