Fashion News- Black Girls In A White World

KENDALL & KYLIE Smart Watch & Bluetooth Headphone Set - Gold/Black
Use this KENDALL & KYLIE smart watch fitness tracker to stay on top of your health while staying in touch with others. It features a sedentary reminder, calorie tracker, sleep monitor, and an elevated heart rate reminder.

Clarks® Airabell Slip Women's Suede Shoes
These Clarks Airabell Slip women's suede shoes offer superior comfort and style.

It is always noteworthy when politics and fashion collide. In October, The New York Times ran an article entitled "Runways Fade to White". The article described the relative absence of Black models on the runways of the most recent Fashion Week.

As a follower of fashion and a Black woman, the article caught my attention.

I tend to live by the proposition that race is a significant character, but should not govern our lives and or dictate our decisions. However, this year's Fashion Week has challenged those beliefs.

The New York Times article painted a picture of the whitening of the fashion world. According to the article, the number of Black women used in fashion shows has steadily decreased. Frequently, designers request the model's race in advance so that they can reject the Black models. When the agents try to pull a bait and switch, by withholding the model's race, the designers later complain. The designers reject the Black model and blame the agent by saying, "You did not tell me that she was Black."

While I was unaware of the undering details, my review of fashion magazines has revealed that Black models were suffering some challenges. I peruse my five subscriptions to fashion magazines religiously every month, under the belief that fashion is universal. Rather than bemoan the absence of Black women on the hundreds of pages, I have rejoiced when I see a Black face on one page.

I used to believe that I was progressive by not letting politics influence my purchasing decisions. Now, I realize that I was naive.

The Census results gave me an easy way to I rationalize the decisions of the fashion industry. Black people account for about 12% of the population so it would follow that we would not be on the major of the covers of fashion magazines. However, the article indicates that deliberate discrimination and not statistics likely explains the absence of Black women from the covers.

By excluding Black models, the designers are communicating a powerful message. While we do not know what the message is, we do know that the message is not a good one. To suggest other outlooks a basic fact. Fashion is about more than selling clothes, it is about selling an image of beauty. Whatever their motivation, it is clear that many designers do not envision Black models as portraying their image of beauty. Once I find out who the biggest offenders were, I doubt that I will be able to envision myself wearing their clothes …

T-Fal Ingenio Expertise Platinum 14-pc. Non-Stick Cookware Set
Click, cook and stack with T-fal Ingenio, the Genius Kitchen System. This non-stick induction cookware is designed with a patented safe detachable handle that can be detached to stack the pots and pans to save up to 50% cupboard space. Attach the handle and Ingenio goes from the stove, to the ove...

You may also like...