“Five years ago, Vogue published an article whose headline asked a stark question: “Is Fashion Racist?” It was hard not to answer yes, when models of color — particularly African Americans — were nearly impossible to come by on New York, Milan, London and Paris runways.
Not much has changed since 2008 — in part because there is no institution to hold designers accountable to represent their diverse customer base.
Until now, that is. A former fashion model is launching a social media campaign to bring public scrutiny to designers and brands who do not use black models.
Bethann Hardison, a former model and agent, is organizing a campaign that will launch during Fashion Week next month to shame the designers that don’t include black models.
She said she hopes once consumers are aware of the lack of diversity some designers have in their runways shows they’ll think twice about where they spend their money. “I wonder if that would make them have second thoughts about buying the shoes, the accessories and the bags,” Hardison told the New York Times. For decades, fashion insiders and consumers have pointed out that the models walking down top haute couture runways remain mostly white. During New York Fashion Week earlier this year, international powerhouse brands like Calvin Klein and Juicy Couture presented collections entirely bereft of models of color. Thirteen companies featured all-white models last season–and many more only featured one or two models that were Hispanic or Asian, with many omitting black models entirely. Jezebel.com has tracked the dismal number of models of color on NY Fashion Week runways and released detailed — and depressing — diversity reports.
Hardison’s campaign, though, represents a new kind of media pressure on the industry.
It’s unclear what hashtag will be used or what social media platforms will be involved. Hardison did not respond to requests for an interview. . .”
Abcnews.com has the full story.
Founded in 2007, Ladybrille® Magazine is a California based pioneer digital publication demystifying the image of Africans in the west through contemporary African fashion and celebrating the brilliant woman in business and leadership, with an emphasis on the African woman in the diaspora. Our coverage includes stories on capital, access to markets, expertise, hiring and retention, sales, marketing, and promotions.
