Where are the black models?!

Um. For serious. On the plane back from Seattle yesterday I pretty much read through an entire issue of Vanity Fair (was avoiding homework), which is about 80% fashion ads. Well I would guess that of those ads, 95% of the models were white or Asian (and the Asian models were all the same type of light-skinned, delicate featured women, highly valued in white and Asian culture but hardly representative of the overall Asian population, to the annoyance of many). I swear. And of the 5% of black models, I would guess the majority were "token" blacks (in group scenes) or Beyonce.

So what gives? IN the issue, an article looking back on the late 80's "supermodel" craze (think Linda, Cindy, Claudia), quoted Naomi Campbell recalling how designers would reject her for her skin color and how the white supermodels would have to boycott the show in order for her to be able to walk. And that was in 1989. We've been through the P.C. 90's, Barack Obama is going to be President (and fabulous Michelle First Lady), Italian Vogue has published an all-black issue in light of this problem, and black people are still underrepresented in a prominent national American Magazine! Thirteen percent of America is black, and in the modeling industry the percentage is even higher. So why can these models not make it into the magazines?

I would like hear a legitimate excuse for this, though I hardly think one exists. Is it because black women are more highly valued on the runway? (Well they better be, because in my opinion they walk better than white women. See Fashion battle report 2008.) Is it because all of the black models are in "niche" publications? Is it because some design labels are inherently "white"? (Think ladies who lunch.) But seriously, in the 21st century, who wants a lily-white image? Becuase A) It's kind of creepy and Nazi-ish B) It's not representative of America and C) It's not representative of the industry. I understand that certain colors, textures, and silhouettes look better on certain skin tones, but this principle should yield a higher percentage of black models, as I'm sure more than 5% of clothes look best on black models.

I'm not saying there should be quotas or stringent guidelines for this, as fashion is a creative industry and designers have visions, but maybe they should try to expand their visions.

One man who did this, Yves Saint Laurent, died recently. In my opinion he was the unchallenged pioneer of race representation in fashion. Incidentally, the YSL ad in Vanity Fair was one of the only ads to spotlight a black model; his legacy lives on.

PS. No pictures from Seattle, sorry, forgot to haul around camera. Blartorial skills fading.
School starts soon though. Raise your hand if you know what you're going to wear for the first day (golly)!