Fashion: To Black or Not Too Black
With Hollywood under fire for a lack of diversity among Oscar nominees, there has been much talk about diversity on the runway in the fashion industry. That word “Diversity” seems to be the new catchword for the fashion world these days. I personally have seen so many white washed runway shows in the past that I just gave up on the notion that opportunity does exist for women of color. Could I be wrong? Could the fashion world be breaking the skinny white mold?
New York Fashion Week fall/winter 2016-17 collections just finished up in February, ironically during Black History Month as it does every year. And to my surprise I actually saw more women of color on the runways than I have ever seen. Quite a few designers stood out, but none like Zac Posen who cast predominately black models at his show. He was certainly doing his part to bring about change, and to push the line further, Posen took to Instagram and posted a photo of him holding a fabulous handmade bag embossed with the words “Black Models Matter.” This move caught the attention of many, even making headlines in the New York Times.
But then there is the models point of view that needs to be added to the mix. One notable Supermodel Leomie Anderson went off on Twitter backstage about NYFW. Make-up Artist and Supermodel Jourdan Dunn agreed. White models can sit in any chair backstage and their make-up and hair will be flawless. On the other hand, black models have to run around and find an Artist who has foundation that will match their complexion. This is a big problem that ultimately comes down to dollars and cents. Beauty insider Rowena Bernardo of beauityandthebullshit.com sheds insight on what the problem actually is. “Women of color have skin tones in so many different shades and there are fewer black models than white in the industry.” “If a Make-up Artist stocks 18 colors for darker skin, most will spoil from nonuse,” says Rowenda so It’s all about money! She suggests that models of color can be proactive by listing their shade reference on their comp card.
Well this was a big pill for me to swallow, but now I have at least some clarity on the root of the problem. I do feel optimistic that things will get better!
Troy Artis
Fashion Editor
