Racial Diversity In Modeling

[model_mom]

And, finally, for this fashion flash, you won't even have to leave the comfort of your own home. Mix up some sangria and watch BET's "Fashion Blackout" special which brings fashion's homogeneous look of underweight, white, Eastern European models, to the surface. Parson's grad and designer Tracy Reese, model Tyson Beckford, Brown alum and Vogue's editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley, and two Howard graduates that were featured on America's Next Top Model discuss the ways in which the media has white-washed fashion and the dominance and power that key-holders such as Miuccia Prada and Marc Jacobs have on the fashion world as they parade identical androids down the runway and in their ad campaigns. Although more than a half-hour needs to be dedicated to such talk, the recent sparks of interest will certainly initiate change in this fall's forthcoming Spring 2009 ready-to-wear runway's.

source and article http://www.collegeotr.com/syracuse_university/3_indoor_fashion_fixes_for_a_rainy_summer_day_8755

 

[kahlilg]

And, finally, for this fashion flash, you won't even have to leave the comfort of your own home. Mix up some sangria and watch BET's "Fashion Blackout" special which brings fashion's homogeneous look of underweight, white, Eastern European models, to the surface. Parson's grad and designer Tracy Reese, model Tyson Beckford, Brown alum and Vogue's editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley, and two Howard graduates that were featured on America's Next Top Model discuss the ways in which the media has white-washed fashion and the dominance and power that key-holders such as Miuccia Prada and Marc Jacobs have on the fashion world as they parade identical androids down the runway and in their ad campaigns. Although more than a half-hour needs to be dedicated to such talk, the recent sparks of interest will certainly initiate change in this fall's forthcoming Spring 2009 ready-to-wear runway's.

source and article http://www.collegeotr.com/syracuse_university/3_indoor_fashion_fixes_for_a_rainy_summer_day_8755

i don't know why they're attacking marc jacobs since he is one of the few designers that always has at least more than 1 black model in his shows. i think i posted the quote here? anyways i doubt this special will inspire anything good.

 

[nyc_art_style]

did anyone else watch fashion blackout tonight? i felt it was nice to finally hear some models speak on the issue. i also felt the moment with the little girls and the dolls was very upsetting.

 

[rangerrick14]

I agree, the scene with the girls and the dolls was extremely upsetting. My jaw literally dropped and was collecting flies. The idea that black children do not have a sense of love for their skin tone though has more to do with how black beauty is displayed in a broadened media landscape. The over sexualization and savage depictions of black women and men is in my opinion an attack on the self esteem of a group of people who have done so much to dovelope a sense public self worth. It hurts to look through a magazine and too see very little ethnic diversity when it comes to displaying a level of luxury and elegance. It's almost as if they are saying that we do not posses the required standard of elegence and grandeur.

 

[aldn]

we need to believe in ourselves more!

 

[Grunged]

#735 That's really ridiculous, I've watched that video numerous times but I guess I was too naive to put two and two together. It's kind of saddening really, I've lost a lot of respect for those three (not that they'd care).

 

[aldn]

I don't see what the big deal is about that video. = / Maybe I'm brain dead or something. = (

 

[valcee]

No, magazines don't make ANY money selling copies. High-end magazines like Vogue, W cost more than their cover price. Their income comes solely from advertising. Advertising dictates the direction the magazine is taking. If, for example, I am Armani and I know that, say, 90% of my costumers hail from "A" socio-economic group (highly educated, high disposable income) and, say, 80% of them are of white descent, I am not going to advertise in a magazine orientated for black people. And if Vogue wants to get Armani ads., it's going to have to work with their marketing, thus trying to appeal to white, WASP, whatever.
Only when a lot more of mega brands costumers will be black, are we gonna see more black models on the covers & editorials. There is nothing else to it.
And yes, my country has virtually no black population. We do have a lot of asians though, but most of them are poor migrant workers. They can't afford fashion. Fashion magazines are not trying to appeal to them.

I find that highly offensive. I come from Singapore and I can assure you I'm not poor. I am upper middle class who can afford high fashion. Countries in Asia eg Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Korea have a burgeoning middle class consumer class who have better spending parity above the average US consumer.

 

[Petit Lucille]

i think the black part was worst! what you (Yanka) are implying is something like "versace clients are 90% blond"! a human's features does NOT determinate their taste.

i haven't got the discrimination culture most people are used to have, so sometimes i struggle to see your points of views. (for instance, i miss the pancake methafore)

 

[Bahiyya]

^^ That's a point that has come up a lot. Magically all non-Caucasians don't find it very difficult to find something appealing about Gemma Ward or Agyness Deyn but turn it around and expect the Caucasians to do the same for Jourdan Dunn or Han Hye Jin and all of a sudden it's, "I'm blond! I can't relate! All the (insert your ethnic group here) work in fish factories!"

Of course, this conveniently ignores the fact that Asia is proving to be one of the most lucrative demographics for luxury houses. (Look how fast Dior dropped Sharon Stone from its ad there.) And that it's wealthy Arabic women sporting couture gowns more often than not .

Don't worry. I expect they won't get a clue until their kids have to start learning Mandarin .

 

[SHSH]

^^ Thats a good point, its sad because i know allot of black and asian girls that are quick to cite agyness deyn and onopka as amazing models but the world fails to appreciate their type of beauty so the whole this magazine readership only buys this doesnt really work these days as I think the world has moved on allot and fashion seems to be trailing behind, buying power in fashion is not determined by race!!! in this day and age there is a growing black, white and asian middle and super rich class.

Fashion is becoming allot more international, which sometimes means racist tendencies become more international where allot of asians may prefer to see a caucasian face on a magazine. Personally i think that it is the industry's own fault for institutionalising a european standard of beauty. But this is outdated and the larger ethnic markets will start to want to see themselves in the magazines.

 

[pmegha]

Ok I was upset when I saw this article, it isn't about a black model, but I think it fits the theme of this thread.

This article from nymag covered some of comments from a casting, and basically all the other models except for Indian model Lakshmi got some positive comments. This is all they wrote for her.

I know what has been written for her isn't anything new for models of colour, but I hate that this is still an issue. Maybe I am overreacting because it has been a while since an Indian model had any chance of making an impact in the fashion industry since Ujjwala Raut quite a few years ago.

LAKSHMI
“She didn’t do anything in New York. To tell the truth, the trend is toward the white girl.”

http://nymag.com/fashion/look/2008/fall/gosees/index4.html

 

[fashionista-ta]

No, Uncle and Aunt as used in the famous food products were terms used for "good" slaves (aka ones who willingly catered to whites with no attitude). There's nothing deragatory about calling your own uncles and aunts or your family friends "Uncle and Aunt". But used in those advertising, they are stereotypical and racist throwbacks to minstrel shows and slavery, plain and simple. There's a difference between calling a close family friend "Aunt" and calling your "*****" slave Aunt.

Google it or read the link I posted. There's a loooong history of racism in avdertising, especially here in America.

Thanks, that makes sense, I understand what you're saying about the connotation. So the advertising image is meant to evoke feelings of safety & nostalgia ...

However, it seems like there's a similar purpose in teaching a child to call an adult Aunt or Uncle, whoever it may be, namely to foster respect (if only because they wanted the child to mind the slave). All this was no doubt tricky to teach the kids Equality is so simple, but not very many people seem to be interested in the concept ...

 

[fashionista-ta]

 

[kahlilg]

Ok I was upset when I saw this article, it isn't about a black model, but I think it fits the theme of this thread.

This article from nymag covered some of comments from a casting, and basically all the other models except for Indian model Lakshmi got some positive comments. This is all they wrote for her.

I know what has been written for her isn't anything new for models of colour, but I hate that this is still an issue. Maybe I am overreacting because it has been a while since an Indian model had any chance of making an impact in the fashion industry since Ujjwala Raut quite a few years ago.

your concern is valid. it sucks, especially because there are so many white models that are so average. and so many women of color that should be models but aren't because they aren't sought after like white models. what a shame.

 

[xmodel citizen]

That comment about Lakshmi enrages me. Seriously, it makes me want to throw something.

^^ That's a point that has come up a lot. Magically all non-Caucasians don't find it very difficult to find something appealing about Gemma Ward or Agyness Deyn but turn it around and expect the Caucasians to do the same for Jourdan Dunn or Han Hye Jin and all of a sudden it's, "I'm blond! I can't relate! All the (insert your ethnic group here) work in fish factories!"

Of course, this conveniently ignores the fact that Asia is proving to be one of the most lucrative demographics for luxury houses. (Look how fast Dior dropped Sharon Stone from its ad there.) And that it's wealthy Arabic women sporting couture gowns more often than not .

Don't worry. I expect they won't get a clue until their kids have to start learning Mandarin .

I'm white and I find it quite easy to see the beauty in people of other races. In fact, I find most to be quite hotter than my freckly self! The whole "people don't want to see people who don't look like them" thing is NONSENSE plain and simple.

 

[MissMagAddict]

Source | UK Vogue

Campbell's YSL Tribute

NAOMI CAMPBELL has paid tribute to legendary fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent following his death, aged 71, on Sunday evening.

Campbell, who has always been outspoken about race issues in fashion, credits Saint Laurent with her success in the fashion industry.

"My first Vogue cover ever was because of this man," the supermodel told Channel 4 News. "Because when I said to him 'Yves, they won't give me a French Vogue cover, they won't put a black girl on the cover' and he was like 'I'll take care of that,' and he did."

In a show of solidarity with the eponymous fashion house the designer founded in 1962, Campbell wore a YSL autumn/winter 2008-9 creation - designed by the house's now-creative director Stefano Pilati - to the CFDA Awards in New York yesterday evening.

"He was the king of fashion," Campbell added in the interview. "He created pret-a-porter, he was the first designer to put women of colour on the runway. He was extremely important in my career, giving me one of my first jobs."

"He has done everything. He's done it. If you go to the museum you will see he has done it all. He has done so much for people of colour."

 

[Bahiyya]

I'm white and I find it quite easy to see the beauty in people of other races. In fact, I find most to be quite hotter than my freckly self! The whole "people don't want to see people who don't look like them" thing is NONSENSE plain and simple.

Oh, I know, I was being rather sarcastic in that post at some points. In pretty much every other area of entertainment/media/art people have been able to identify with all sorts of persons across colour and class lines but somehow in fashion there's a weird kind of hold-out.

I was really surprised at the comment about Lakshmi. She has a single girl Hermes campaign for crying out loud!

Reading Campbell's remarks made me all fuzzy inside . Thanks for posting that article, MissMagAddict .

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ And it was Gemma just a few years ago--I thought her Hermes campaign was a fantastic showcase for her.

I find that comment about Lakshmi to be just b!tchy & catty--and also inaccurate.

I certainly wouldn't call it a trend. And since when do we allow appreciating the beauty of the entire human rainbow to be influenced by fashion? Surely that should be "classic" and evergreen and not up for debate ... If your aesthetic cannot appreciate this, there is something sick and wrong with your aesthetic.

It needs to be said louder and louder and by more and more people until the ignorant & confused either wake up or shut up. Fashion gets no free pass, no free ride--racism is racism no matter what you call it (trend my a$$), and it's unacceptable.

 

[Northern Star]

It's certainly not a trend right now.......it's been that way for a good while and unfortunately looks like it will be that way for a good while longer.
As long as the remarks like the one made about Lakshmi are banded about, some attitudes ain't gonna change.