Designers Casting More Models of Color at NY Fashion Week?

Jorge Rivas

Designers Casting More Models of Color at NY Fashion Week?

COACD TV: HOLLIS, NEW YORK MODELS from Douglas Perrett on Vimeo.

This is wakeema hollis, 24, a model originally from Memphis, Tennessee. She’s seeing more models of color, but says there are still not enough.

Fashion week in NY isn’t over, so we don’t have this years numbers; but here’s a look at the number of models of color at Paris Fashion Week in March 08 tallied by an editorial assistant at Jezebel.

Here are how some of the most influential designers cast their shows: Ann Demeulemeester: 29 models, all white. Balenciaga: 34 models; 2 dark-haired Spaniards, zero black, zero Asian. Celine: 42 models; 1 Asian, zero black. Chanel: 36 models; 2 Asian, zero black. Chloe: 28 models; 2 Asian, 1 dark-haired Spanish, zero black. Christian Dior: 58 models; 1 Asian, 1 black. Christian Lacroix: 30 models; zero Asian, zero black, 1 indigenous Brazilian. Jean Paul Gaultier: 36 models; 2 Asian, 2 black, 1 Latina (Omahyra). John Galliano: 52 models, 1 Asian, 1 black. Louis Vuitton: 49 models; 2 Asian, 2 black, 1 indigenous Brazilian. Vivienne Westwood: 25 models; 2 Asian, 5 black, 1 Latina. Yohji Yamamoto: 25 models, 1 Asian, zero black. Junya Watanabe avoided the blatant runway racism by covering all his models' faces with pieces of black fabric. That's one way to deal with it!

Posted at 11:39 AM, Sep 11, 2008 in Pop Culture | Permalink | View Comments