Racial Diversity In Modeling

[Zen]

^ well, do tell us how you really feel! LOL sarcasm*

 

[kimair]

from jezebel.com

Black models are not just struggling in the United States -- they're not getting any work in the UK, either. A summit to discuss the culture of "blatant" racism in the modeling industry will take place in London next year, reports The Independent. Dee Doocey, a former managing director of an international fashion company, is organizing the meeting. "I can't remember being sent a model who wasn't white," says Doocey. "I don't know if it's racism, or just the fashion industry languishing in the doldrums, but it needs to change. Agencies only seem interested in leggy white blonde girls."

Designers, modeling agencies and politicians are among those who will be invited to the event. In November, a contest called the "Top Model of Colour" competition will kick off in the UK. Sola Oyebade, managing director of Mahogany, the model agency behind the contest, says,"There are so many good quality black and mixed race-models that would be great, but the agencies and the clients are not willing to take a gamble. Non-white people make up about 30 per cent of the population of London but we don't even make up 1 per cent of the models."

Clearly something's gotta give, but is a summit really going to be the catalyst? It's not just that the racism is pervasive -- no one seems to be ashamed!

Maya Schulz, managing director at Acclaim models, an agency that specializes in choosing models from an ethnically diverse range of backgrounds, said: "I always find it more difficult putting black faces out there. The racism you come across is not underlying, it's blatant. People will say things like 'Don't send any more black models', and one designer even said black people didn't suit his clothes. And we're not talking about small designers here; it's all the big ones. The colour debate is far more important than the size-zero debate, but it's hardly had any coverage."​

link to the full article in the independent:
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article3043733.ece#2007-10-10T00:00:01-00:00

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Wow ... extremely interesting final quote. I would absolutely LOVE to see some of those quotes leaked to the press anonymously ... nothing would please me more than to find out who made that comment about black people not suiting his clothes. I feel quite certain I would immediately discover his clothes don't suit me either

PS Where'd our troll go??

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Thinking about this more ... anyone have data on which designers never use black models? Let's narrow it down ... I make take a little look thru current shows when I get a chance ...

 

[misssakura]

I remember when I first came here, I was stunned by Alek Wek, I thought she was so gorgeous...then I looked through more and more shows and realised that she was pretty much dominating the field. It was quite odd...

(edit: as in, even as an older model, she was still one of the few dark skinned models walking the runways..)

 

[Joseph26]

... nothing would please me more than to find out who made that comment about black people not suiting his clothes.

so what? that designer is free to decide what he wanna do with his fashion show so what's the problem? if he doesn't like black models I would respect that

 

[misssakura]

^ Why is it okay to dismiss millions of people based on one word...'black people' doesn't describe one look, one skin tone, one height, we're not talking about clones here! Alek Wek for example looks different to Naomi Campbell, Naomi looks very different to Iman, yet that designer has just dismissed thousands of models with one word. Doesn't that seem wrong to you? 'White' girls don't instantly look like models just for being white, heck I'm 'white' and i'm not a model, yet he hasn't dismissed me in that statement when I obviously don't suit his clothes. Where does it stop?

 

[Joseph26]

^ Why is it okay to dismiss millions of people based on one word...'black people' doesn't describe one look, one skin tone, one height, we're not talking about clones here! Alek Wek for example looks different to Naomi Campbell, Naomi looks very different to Iman, yet that designer has just dismissed thousands of models with one word. Doesn't that seem wrong to you? 'White' girls don't instantly look like models just for being white, heck I'm 'white' and i'm not a model, yet he hasn't dismissed me in that statement when I obviously don't suit his clothes. Where does it stop?

you don't know the ideas of every designer, his concepts, every head is a world, try to see it that way and you will not suffer that much

 

[eternitygoddess]

^ Why is it okay to dismiss millions of people based on one word...'black people' doesn't describe one look, one skin tone, one height, we're not talking about clones here! Alek Wek for example looks different to Naomi Campbell, Naomi looks very different to Iman, yet that designer has just dismissed thousands of models with one word. Doesn't that seem wrong to you? 'White' girls don't instantly look like models just for being white, heck I'm 'white' and i'm not a model, yet he hasn't dismissed me in that statement when I obviously don't suit his clothes. Where does it stop?

Everyone associates 'black' and Africa as just one same entity. I remember for a meeting the question was, "What country is Kofi Annan from?" and one guy yelled out, "Africa".

 

[Joseph26]

I remember for a meeting the question was, "What country is Kofi Annan from?" and one guy yelled out, "Africa".

 

[fashionista-ta]

so what? that designer is free to decide what he wanna do with his fashion show so what's the problem? if he doesn't like black models I would respect that

Alive & well & under the bridge the whole time ...

You are free to respect that designer all you want, but this is an employment situation & now in the 21st century (hey, even in the 20th) we have laws about this kinda thing ...

 

[Joseph26]

Alive & well & under the bridge the whole time ...

You are free to respect that designer all you want, but this is an employment situation & now in the 21st century (hey, even in the 20th) we have laws about this kinda thing ...

there are tons of jobs in the world, if you can't be a model pick another one.

there are millions of models wishing to be High Fashion models, but not everything is possible in this world, be positive and the world will change.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I don't know if you've heard ... people just aren't hiring maids like they used to, back in what some folks think of as "the good old days" Nowadays women of color really need to be able to compete for the exact same jobs as all the rest of us. (It's the law.)

OK, feel free to head back to the bridge now ...

 

[Joseph26]

^ Nowadays women of color really need to be able to compete for the exact same jobs as all the rest of us. (It's the law.)

they are competing, aren't they? if they don't get the job it is 'cause they don't make the cut, it's not the fault of the designer.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Joseph, you may wish to read the article before discussing it. In it, the designer is clearly quoted as saying, Do not send me black models. So no, they cannot compete if they cannot be seen. I am not an employment attorney, but my understanding is that is illegal.

Came here to note that Tuleh had at least two black models on their runway this spring.

 

[lucky star]

^ Thinking about this more ... anyone have data on which designers never use black models? Let's narrow it down ... I make take a little look thru current shows when I get a chance ...

I would be interested as to what you find Fashionista-ta. I really can't think of any big names who haven't at least used Liya, or Alek, or Naomi. (I don't know about current shows though)
Comparing those 3 models is strange, because they look so different, misssakura is absolutely right that it's weird to put so many people under one giant umbrella, they seems worlds apart. I hadn't really thought about it like that before.

 

[Northern Star]

I could be wrong here but I believe Prada have never used a black model in their runway shows.......they have used Hye Park who is Chinese but I can't recall a black girl ever.

If anyone knows I stand corrected.

 

[Jacque Marcel]

^ Prada has used Naomi once but they have used some Asian models male and female.

 

[J'ador-DioR]

Naomi walked for Prada twice and did their S/S 93 campaign. Last time Prada hired a black model was in 1995.

Christian Lacroix used a black model for his presentation this season for the first time in ages. He was a big fan of Alek and used her regularly in the late 90's. He did, however use a fair share of black models early on when he designed for Emilio Pucci.

Sophia Kokosalaki has never used a black model.

Karl Lagerfeld use to support black models 3 years ago but he hasn't used one (for his own label, Chanel and Fendi) since FW05..

Frida Giannini hasn't used a black model in her shows for Gucci ever since she took over as the creative director.

No black model was seen on the runway for Calvin Klein and Versace since SS04. The first time Versace used an Asian model was for their SS07 presentation.

I think everything went downhill for ethnic models ever since Tom Ford left the fashion scene. He has always used a wide varity of models for both Gucci & YSL. His shows for both labels in terms of model casting were the ones to look out for and walking for him made a model an instant star and a must-have for campaigns & eds. He has helped launch the careers of Liya, Ai Tominaga, Nadine Willis, Ujjwala Raut and Yasmin Warsame.

 

[Northern Star]

^^Thanks for all that info. and I totally agree with you're comments about Tom Ford, he also used Mimi Roche, Ana Bela Santos and Michelle DeSwardt at Gucci.
Roberto Cavalli almost always has black models in his shows and it's seriously about time other designers did.

Kinee Diouf and Jourdan Dunn were the only models of colour who made any impact at all this season and that's a pretty sad state of affairs.