Racial Diversity In Modeling

[aldn]

more toward white girls?! skin tones are not clothing. they can't just go in and out of style. = 0

 

[nyc_art_style]

It may not be a big deal, but both Jordan and Chanel did Stella resort. Normally its only one black girl. Someone on tfs said that more black girls will be on runway because of all the media. I guess they were right.

 

[kahlilg]

jourdann chanel and another black girl but i forgot her name. she was gorgeous!

 

[eternitygoddess]

A certain type of Caucasian women, what you keep saying is that Blacks are not represented because they are black and In my opinion they are not represented because they have a certain type of beauty that fashion does not want at the moment, not because of their race. I do not feel represented in the catwalk simply for the fact that I'm Caucasian, that's absolutely absurd and reductive.
I grew up with a cousin that is mixed race, and I guess it may surprise you to know that no, she does not feel her race represented by the likes of any women in the catwalk or in the media just because they happen to be black. She has as much in common with Chanel or Tyra as i have with Snejana. Not everything has to be thought in race lines.

There is simply a certain type of beauty in the catwalk, that goes way beyond race.white or black they have be very tall and skinny,traits you are born with that you could not discriminate against in any other job and that exclude 99% of the planet's women to the modeling world.

Fashion is superficial and no one has the "right" to model. Why is deciding to chose a women instead of another to fulfill your idea has to be racist?

In a small scale When we choose something as simple as an avatar with a model, something very common here, we are choosing a photo, an idea someone we like instead of another, that is meant to represent you .Are we all closeted racists if we decide to choose an image with a Caucasian girl ?

good points worth pondering.

 

[lawbstar]

vogue italia all black issue next month

I'm black and heres how I see it, this is fashion not politics...it is all about 'the look of the moment'. This drought of ethnic models will wear off eventually because even white people will get tired of looking at the same plane jane cookie cutter models...

not to say that a some white models aren't distinctly beautiful.

 

[iluvjeisa]

^ 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.

I think that's going too far. The moment you start reasoning with aesthetics, it all goes out the window. Nothing is beautiful because it fulfills certain criteria, it just IS.

 

[Bahiyya]

good points worth pondering.

Actually, it would only be a good point if anyone could point to a period in high fashion when, suddenly, Caucasians had a look that designers didn't want. But somehow one single race -- magically! miraculously! -- is impervious to all trends while others have to wait until fashion wants a *insert the mysterious circumstances here*. And no one in this thread ever said that by simply choosing one girl over another makes anyone racist. Let's not get ridiculous and melodramatic.

 

[Jacque Marcel]

"...the trend is toward the white girl..." When isn't it toward the white girl?

 

[janznote]

Trends? What about bank?

"...the trend is toward the white girl..." When isn't it toward the white girl?

To add fuel to the fire, the only black models currently working and making money to actually be able to live off of their career can be counted on one hand. Liya Kebede was the only black model listed on Models Making Bank. Of course, Naomi has made it, Tyra and Alek but most of them are starving at their art (no pun intended).

Why is it that black models are often underpaid? The white model who is the 'it' girl will get the million dollar contracts but it is unprecedented when a black model such as Liya with Este Lauder does it. Think about it.

That is where the argument needs to be not whether or not they are in editorial in magazines. Most models are lucky if they are paid at all for editorial shoots. If they get $1000 for being in a magazine that's a big deal (most of the time it's like $150) and that's with the top magazines.

Editorial is great for a model to get exposure; runway shows are for exposure -- all to get the big campaigns which rarely ever come for the black girl. It's a catch 22 for most models - you have to be seen to get the campaigns but the black models rarely land the big campaigns even if they are seen.

Again count on one hand how many black models are in one magazine with a big campaign. If we only concern ourselves with seeing more models in magazines' editorial then they will just be poor editorial girls and their career will fade so quickly that you'll forget their names in a few years. They have to pay their bills too and living and working in Manhattan can eat up a small paycheck quickly.

Fight for the money not just the exposure! If it was only male models that made the big bucks and the female models were underpaid, or not paid at all, there would be protest -- no matter what color they are! We have to wake up and stop asking for the bone and ask for some steak -- Why can't we have the filet mignon too???

 

[fashionista-ta]

I think that's going too far. The moment you start reasoning with aesthetics, it all goes out the window. Nothing is beautiful because it fulfills certain criteria, it just IS.

My point is that if a person's aesthetics cannot appreciate the entire human rainbow, there's something other than aesthetics at work. Because the entire human rainbow IS beautiful.

And along those same lines, I'm quite irritated by comments that a black model isn't black enough. I happen to be at the very far end of the spectrum--very pale pink. Someone in the middle of the spectrum represents ... the middle of the spectrum. There is no ___ enough, no ___ too much. Every skin shade is beautiful, and the spectrum should be represented.

I couldn't agree more with aldn that there can be no in and out of skin color--fashion is for skirt length and volume and shape, dresses vs pants, etc.--not for human beings.

 

[iluvjeisa]

"...the trend is toward the white girl..." When isn't it toward the white girl?

mmmm...when it's for the tanned girl. Everyone should be as dissatisfied as possible - with themselves - in order to purchase as many items as possible.

 

[iluvjeisa]

My point is that if a person's aesthetics cannot appreciate the entire human rainbow, there's something other than aesthetics at work. Because the entire human rainbow IS beautiful.

And along those same lines, I'm quite irritated by comments that a black model isn't black enough. I happen to be at the very far end of the spectrum--very pale pink. Someone in the middle of the spectrum represents ... the middle of the spectrum. There is no ___ enough, no ___ too much. Every skin shade is beautiful, and the spectrum should be represented.

I couldn't agree more with aldn that there can be no in and out of skin color--fashion is for skirt length and volume and shape, dresses vs pants, etc.--not for human beings.

Aesthetics is based on experience. So it depends on how much you weigh your own experiences versus what the general ideal in the communities you travel in.

If you're a white (and pale) person who grows up to think pale is bad, then chances are you're going to like everything that isn't pale. If you're Asian and grow up appreciating the people around you, and no other pigmentation is idealized, you'll probably like Asians better.

Not unexpected...

 

[aldn]

i don't think community or upbringing has anything to do with it. besides that is the whole reason we're saying we need more black models and not just black but other non caucasian models to broaden peoples perspectives and ideas about beauty. i reject many things/ideals that people in my community might believe so i can see things for what they are.

 

[kahlilg]

being pale is not the same as being a person of color

 

[iluvjeisa]

^It's the only pigmentation that it's a-ok to diss and stay within the realm of political correctness.

 

[iluvjeisa]

i don't think community or upbringing has anything to do with it. besides that is the whole reason we're saying we need more black models and not just black but other non caucasian models to broaden peoples perspectives and ideas about beauty. i reject many things/ideals that people in my community might believe so i can see things for what they are.

You don't think community and upbringing (i.e. input, or environment) has anything to do with how people perceive aesthetics? Interesting.

 

[aldn]

in general i know that's how it works, but i wish it didn't. i try very hard not to formulate opinions about things until i experience them myself.

 

[ChristionCouture]

So, I've been in Europe for a few weeks now. I'm in Paris at the moment, and I came across the new French Vogue with Noemie Lenoir on the cover. EXCITING, RIGHT?! Actually, there are two covers. One with a white model and one with a black. Of course, Noemie was in the back of the display and I took it upon myself to rearrange the store and put her issues in front. LOL To my surprise, I made it back to my hotel room and flipped through the new vogue and couldn't find Noemie layout. I eventually found one single photo of her and couldn't find any others. Though, the white model had a 5? page layout. I thought it was some type of mistake so I flipped through it about 1o times. Noemie has one photo and she's covering her face in it!!!!! Is this some type of sick joke?

 

[pmegha]

^ I don't know if it was a sick joke or not, but I agree it was weird that she was on the cover and only had 1 single page in the editorial, whereas Laetitia Casta had the cover and majority of the spread.
It is sad since Noemie definitely deserved more than what she got considering she is unbelievably gorgeous.

It almost looked like having Noemie on the cover and in the editorial was an afterthought.

 

[Bahiyya]

So, I've been in Europe for a few weeks now. I'm in Paris at the moment, and I came across the new French Vogue with Noemie Lenoir on the cover. EXCITING, RIGHT?! Actually, there are two covers. One with a white model and one with a black. Of course, Noemie was in the back of the display and I took it upon myself to rearrange the store and put her issues in front. LOL To my surprise, I made it back to my hotel room and flipped through the new vogue and couldn't find Noemie layout. I eventually found one single photo of her and couldn't find any others. Though, the white model had a 5? page layout. I thought it was some type of mistake so I flipped through it about 1o times. Noemie has one photo and she's covering her face in it!!!!! Is this some type of sick joke?

I've been waiting for someone to bring that up . It's been entirely glossed over in the magazine forum thread with the exception of a few (and I do mean few) pointing it out.