Racism on the runway
April 4th 2009 01:26
Supermodel Naomi Campbell has taken a stand against what she views as racism in the fashion world, with "blonde, blue-eyed models" frequently given preference to black women when it comes to appearing in magazines and on the runway.
"You know, the American president may be black, but as a black woman I am still an exception in this business. I always have to work harder to be treated equally," she said in an interview with German Glamour magazine.
"In the past, there were more opportunities for black models but the trend towards blonde women has again become extreme. In magazines, on the catwalk, I see blonde, blue-eyed models everywhere."
This is not the first time the high-profile Londoner has lashed out at discrimination in the industry, and she's not alone in her sentiments. Tyra Banks, Liya Kebede and Tyson Beckford have also campaigned against this apparent racism in the fashion industry.
It's not just a lack of black women, either - it is rare to see an Asian model on the runway at a Paris, Milan or New York show, and practically unheard of to see a woman of Indian descent. Why is it that women of ethnicities other than Anglo-Saxon are so under-represented in the fashion industry? And what can we, the fashion-conscious, do to change it? Let me know your thoughts.
"You know, the American president may be black, but as a black woman I am still an exception in this business. I always have to work harder to be treated equally," she said in an interview with German Glamour magazine.
"In the past, there were more opportunities for black models but the trend towards blonde women has again become extreme. In magazines, on the catwalk, I see blonde, blue-eyed models everywhere."
This is not the first time the high-profile Londoner has lashed out at discrimination in the industry, and she's not alone in her sentiments. Tyra Banks, Liya Kebede and Tyson Beckford have also campaigned against this apparent racism in the fashion industry.
It's not just a lack of black women, either - it is rare to see an Asian model on the runway at a Paris, Milan or New York show, and practically unheard of to see a woman of Indian descent. Why is it that women of ethnicities other than Anglo-Saxon are so under-represented in the fashion industry? And what can we, the fashion-conscious, do to change it? Let me know your thoughts.
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