Spring Break
Black is back in Vogue
Craft Style Files: Your Weekly Fashion News
Joshua Craft
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
I originally intended on making this last Style Files of the year something light and breezy. The focus was supposed to be on swimwear and what the current trends are for this summer. Although that would be the best thing to write, easy to talk about and doesn't require much thought, there was a recent development within the fashion industry which I found to be slightly more important.
I have discussed the issue of race in this column before. The fashion industry is notorious for only hiring white models when it comes to fashion shows and editorial shoots. The lily white pages of the fashion magazines had become targets from groups within the industry itself as only promoting white models.
There has also been the issue of only having one successful black model at a time. Whenever there were two or more black models coming up at the same time, the press managed to create faux drama between them, supporting the notion that only one could be dominant.
It felt like the industry was going backwards instead of forwards. Runways began to get whiter and whiter as we progressed into this decade. It became a sort of game, spot the black model. Most of the time it was next to impossible to find one.
With the success of models like Beverly Johnson, Iman, Naomi Campbell, and Tyra Banks, the industry began to back away from promoting equality among the models they would use. Liya Kebede was an exception of course, as she began nabbing magazine covers and lucrative contracts like one with Estee Lauder.
Since Liya there have been only two notable names. Chanel Iman and the current "It" girl of color Jourdan Dunn. Both represent the beauty of black women. Both unfortunately have been used as tokens. This tokenism leads some to make bold statements regarding the industry and the blind eye they have turned towards models of color.
It was just recently confirmed that Vogue Italia, with the help of famed photographer Steven Meisel, has shot an issue that consists of only black models. This development is a much needed breath of fresh air. This has to be some of the most exciting news to come from this industry in quite a while.
I have discussed the issue of race in this column before. The fashion industry is notorious for only hiring white models when it comes to fashion shows and editorial shoots. The lily white pages of the fashion magazines had become targets from groups within the industry itself as only promoting white models.
There has also been the issue of only having one successful black model at a time. Whenever there were two or more black models coming up at the same time, the press managed to create faux drama between them, supporting the notion that only one could be dominant.
It felt like the industry was going backwards instead of forwards. Runways began to get whiter and whiter as we progressed into this decade. It became a sort of game, spot the black model. Most of the time it was next to impossible to find one.
With the success of models like Beverly Johnson, Iman, Naomi Campbell, and Tyra Banks, the industry began to back away from promoting equality among the models they would use. Liya Kebede was an exception of course, as she began nabbing magazine covers and lucrative contracts like one with Estee Lauder.
Since Liya there have been only two notable names. Chanel Iman and the current "It" girl of color Jourdan Dunn. Both represent the beauty of black women. Both unfortunately have been used as tokens. This tokenism leads some to make bold statements regarding the industry and the blind eye they have turned towards models of color.
It was just recently confirmed that Vogue Italia, with the help of famed photographer Steven Meisel, has shot an issue that consists of only black models. This development is a much needed breath of fresh air. This has to be some of the most exciting news to come from this industry in quite a while.
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