Black Models To Fight Against Lack of Diversity In The Fashion Industry

The Italian Vogue magazine is set to feature black models exclusively in its issues. This is in response to the lack of diversity in the fashion industry.

The fashion industry have long been criticized for using mostly white models in fashion shows and many other modeling venues - runways, editorials, advertisements, and fashion covers.

One of the most publicized attempt to put an end to the so-called “white-washed fashion” was probably that of former model agency owner Bethann Hardison who have represented supermodels Tyson Beckford and Naomi Campbell. Hardison convened two summits to discuss the refusal of some of the most influential fashion personalities to embrace black beauty. As support for her call, CFDA president Diane Von Furstenberg sent out a letter prior to fashion week urging designers to incorporate models of all ethnicities onto their catwalks.

The efforts, however, was to no avail. The fall '08 fashion season ended with white models flooding the runways.

And so Italian Vogue came back with a vengeance, as few days earlier the editor-in-chief of Italian Vogue Franca Sozzani made a public statement that said, "We are using a lot of black models, like Iman! ...Not only the models of today - a lot of different girls."

The magazine's purpose was made clear by Sozzani: "Because nobody is using black girls. I see so many beautiful girls and they were complaining that they are not used enough."

In addition, all of the other editions will be incorporating not only black models, but other under represented minority groups in their magazines much more than usual over the next few months.

We just hope that this bold campaign for diversity in the fashion industry would not turn out to be a case of “black versus white” issue. After all, it wouldn't be called diversity if all the white models become black.