The New Black

For some, Fashion Week is one of the most highly anticipated events in New York in the springtime; the daring fashions, dramatic make-up, hairstyles and beautiful models demand attention across the city. However, in the Spring of 2007, the attention that was drawn to the models, clothes and shows was, in some cases, negative due to the lack of diversity on the runways of many high-end designers.

Reporters from Reuters attended more than 40 shows and found that there were only one or two Black or Asian models on the runways for designers. At some shows, like the one for designer Rebecca Taylor, there were none.

Vietnamese designer Thuy Diep says that models are cast if they fit the clothing correctly and that a specific skin tone isn’t a factor.

"My samples are a certain size and they have to fit right ... and that's more important than having one black person and one Asian person."
 
In January 2008, African-American fashion enthusiasts waited to see if Fashion Week 08  would deliver a more multi-ethnic array of models than the year before. That year, Jourdan Dunn, then 17, became the first black model to walk in a Prada fashion show in more than a decade, trailblazing the catwalk of the future. Italian Vogue magazines’ July 2008 publication of an All Black Issue -- which featured black models from cover to cover -- broke barriers in the modeling industry, showing that the presence of Black models will be seen in years to come.
   
 A year and a half later, the world is well acquainted with this new breed of model. Fresh faces like Jourdan Dunn and Chanel Iman are ripping the runways and being photographed in ads ranging from The Gap to The United Colors of Benetton.

Some believe that seeing more African-American models on the runway shows that the fashion world is beginning to accept different types of beauty. The steady change will allow Black models to break out of the urban-fashion realm and represent a wider range of designs from Club Monaco to higher-end couture.

 The fashion world is exploring the beauty and nature of the black model.  Just two years ago, agents, designers and photographers alike were worried about the lack of black in the industry. In the spirit of change and with the incorporation of diversity across all aspects of society, the fashion world will continue to include multi-ethnic models in ads and on the runway.
      
 

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