Solange ( journalist, Fashion Truth), Hollis (model,agency: Marylin, Paris), Georgie (model, Agency: Elite, Paris), Ariel (model, Agency: Elite Paris). These models are smiling, they are beautifull,but behind beauty there is the truth!This article is born after a very strange week end. I spent this two short days with very successfull black models who were complaining about the way they were threated on a daily basis in modeling industry. They asked me to use their testimony in order to make people understand. So I decided to be their voice, the time of an article. Being in love with fashion doesn't mean at all that you have to accept everything you are dealing with. Fashion actors are building the rules of this game but they have to face it. Spiting on somebodys face is always annoying, but if you spit and after that, you correct your behavior, it means that you evoluted. It's the beginning of a big change.
I got a lot of advises from fashion journalist who told me not speaking about that because it could be annoying for my career as fashion reporter. I think that even if things can bother people mind, it is just very important to tell it because being reporter is not only speaking about what is good. It's not the way I would like to work. What's ironic is that after giving me these advises, this journalist wrote an article about the subject. Obviously it wasn't annoying for her career. Anyway this fashion blog is commited to truth. That's the reason why I changed the name of this blog. It's not about fashion shows, it's about fashion truth. Everybody can see what's going on in fashion trends during the fashion week. The most interesting is the reality.We have to show it from the inside!
In 1966 Edmond Charles-Roux has been fired from Vogue US because she published a cover with a Black girl. Today, Obama is the president of the united States. This country is the place where "minorities" are more represented in advertising campaigns.
What is the difference between a White model and a Black model. Except for the color of their skin, there is no difference. But what does justify that they are threated in such a different way?
When black top models arriving in Paris for the fashion week it's such a drama!!! It has been difficult for them in Milan, and now it continues in Paris.
Being a Black model in Paris and in Milan is not a funny time! It means struggling much more than the others. A Black model has to accept not being considered and having less jobs than the others.
Even when these models are very experienced it is not enough!
We met Black models during paris fashion week. They are represented by the best model agencies in the world ( Elite for two of them, Marylin for the third one). They are in competition in modeling industry but in the real life, they appreciate to spend time together, speaking about their daily difficulties and having fun.
All of them are used to work a lot all around the world . They are international models but all of them have the same bad feelling about Paris. They already know that paris fashion week is so depressing for them because they know how it works in this city.
One of this model is named Ariel ( american). She explained us the story of her daily struggles in Paris. She did an editorial for Vogue magazine with other girls in Milan. A couple of month later, a very luxury brand decided to take the same girls for it's campaign. Finally, all the girls have been taken except the Black one.
Ollis (another black model) is complaining too. She explained us a story: a client told her during a casting in Paris that her mouth was too big.
"You have to know that when you are starting modeling in France and that you're Black, your bookers are warning you! They tell you: you don't have to pretend to work as the others models because you are Black" explain another model.
Jordan Dunn declared to a british newspaper that being a Black model is very difficult. Even if she's working a lot, she knows that Black models she's working with, are suffering from discrimination. Being Jordan Dunn doesn't prevent against discrimination. She even told us that she had been cancelled for a show because a ccording to the client: "You are Black, you can't do the show". The worst thing is that it happend when she arrived the day of the show and that she was readdy for the make up. The client discover a couple of days after the casting that she was black!!!!!!!She's aware that it is more than a regular model struggle, it's worst! You have to justify who you are. "I have my big lips, I have my dark skin, I am powerfull on a stage so what? Black is beautifull!", are singing black models sarcastically when they meet each other. Having charisma look to be such a big deal. Charisma comes from history. All this girls from Asia, Africa or Arabia have their own history that clients want to hide.
It 's not even about traditionnal modeling competition issues, it's pure discriminating issues. Refusing a model because she's too short is so different than refusing her because she's asian, black, or arabian.
Does it mean that Black (or Asian, Hispanic or arabian) models have to obey different rules?
Eveybody knows Naomie Campbell, but does people know that she can't take the pose for any campaigns because there are brands which are still refusing to be represented by Black people.
It's not only a problem for Black girls it's an issue for model who are asian, arabian or mixted.I got other testimonies from asian girls who claims the same problem in modeling industry. They understand this issue and they speak about that with Black models.
Coming from another culture isn't fashionable. Even when you are mixed and that you are looking like an european girl, french casting director tell you that you are too Black! But what does it mean?
In fashion history so much top models and designers empowered the image of Black models in fashion industry. Yves Saint Laurent, Azzedine Alaia, Jean Paul Goude with the mythic Grace Jones and others...
A lot of people try to find explanation to this discriminating attitude. Some of them considered that it is because of the market. Others considers that it is because minorities don't have a lot of money in France and that's the reason why Black are not represented in luxury campaigns... It's enough! Why don't we accept the reality, why is it necessary to justify people's foolishness? Why is it normal for a designer to declare that 2 or 3 Blacks are enough in the same show. It's not really consistent. Are casting director counting the number of white girls who are in the same show. It would be so stupid too. Apparently in France quotas dont have a meaning, but during the fashion week this word has a true meaning!
It's not necessary to disrespect these models. This time is over. Now "it's time for change". People have to accept the reality of the world and even in a marketing way. Chinese people and japenese people are very big consumers of luxury products. African american are luxury consumers too. Arabian people are involved in luxury industry. Paris is international. So, why don't people can get icons who look like them?
http://www.lepost.fr/article/2009/02/23/1433949_mode-les-beautes-noires-des-podiums.html
In the 80's, Black models have been very successfull. They named Naomie Campbell, Katoucha, Alec Wek, Iman... They put Black models in mainstream . Photographers were crazy about them. Now, they are pushed away..Telling that there are black models in fashion shows isn't enough, it is starting on the source. We know that fashion industry is very moody. It is not about building a "Black cohalition" but it is just accepting hispanics, mixed, black, asian models with their specificities.
An article has been published by Marie claire magazine , it's a fake mea-culpa about the non representation of Black models in their magazine. It's untitled: "Is fashion racist ?"In this article, the writer is still speaking about "colored" people. This old school word shows that nothing change in people's mind.
http://www.marieclaire.fr/,la-mode-est-elle-raciste,20258,776.asp
The italian Vogue asked the same question in it's special Black issue.
Even if this discriminating rules are applying to this Black models, they are representated: Arlenis Sosa, Jordan Dunn, Chanel Iman, Georgie Badiel, are part of the best shows and it must continue and fashion people have to make it progress especially when these girls have all the qualitites for being good models.
The Black IT girls
The powerfull Naomie Campbell
The elegant Liya Kebede: the first Black face of Estee Lauder
The sweetness of Jordan Dunn
Chanel Iman ( on the left)
The maturity of Arlenis Sosa
THE PERSONNALITY OF ALEC WEK
The beloved and regret Katoucha
The beautifull Iman Bowie
The sexy Noemie Lenoir
The sexy Noemie Lenoir
Sessilee Lopez
THE NEXT BLACK TOP MODELS
Adama: winner of Elite model contest
Mia: Queen of the stages, Ungaro, Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood
Georgie, the understanding of elegance: Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Tsumori Shisato
Ariel and Hollis, beauty with simplicity : Vogue, Victoria secret, Diane Von FurstenbergWe thanks all the fashion actors who worked so hard for making them working. Appearing in the best worldwide shows is a beginning. Fashion truth wish the same evolution for all models who suffer of discrimination. Beauty is on nature, it's the way you threat it which bring you success. It is not all about the market. First push them up and after they will receive the gratitude they deserve.
This article speak to asian models too, because it's the same issue.
Hyde Park asian top model
http://jezebel.com/5160337/how-did-new-york-fashion-weeks-116-shows-treat-models-of-color
