Jezebel: Black Models

Black Model Little More Than a Prop in Scottish Catalog

Hayley Price — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:45:00 EST

One of the many privileges that Peggy McIntosh identifies in her famous essay on "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" is that, as she writes, "I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented." This statement resounded when I saw the images below from a 2011 Scottish Woolovers catalogue. Further, I was reminded that it's not only a matter of whether we see people of our race widely represented, but also of how the media makes these portrayals. More »

Some Black Models To Watch

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:30:00 EDT

Modeling agency Ford did a promotional shoot featuring all of its black models — including women from all of its various divisions, straight- and plus-size — and some behind-the-scenes snapshots have leaked. (The photos are obviously not top quality, but we've reached out to Ford and hope to publish the final shots.) Jean Paul Gaultier favorite and Levi's face Marquita Pring and Sports Illustrated star Damaris Lewis are among those featured. Highlighting models by race might seem like a weird thing to do, but models are judged on innate physical characteristics all the time (that's kind of the point of the modeling industry), and given plenty of designers still apparently think it's okay to show their collections on all-white casts, we're on board with almost anything that draws attention to the beauty of models of color. Ford previously did a promotional shoot highlighting the blondes on its plus-size board. [Fashionista] More »

Brazilians Push For 20% Black Model Quota

Jenna Sauers — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:20:00 EDT

Vogue Italia editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani runs a web portal, Vogue Black, dedicated to black women and fashion, issued a famous all-black issue, and has recently put Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Jay-Z on the covers of her magazine and its counterpart, L'uomo Vogue. So Sozzani's a little pissed that Liz Jones didn't call her for her "Is Fashion Racist? Yes" piece in the Daily Mail last week. On her editor's blog, as rendered by Google Translate and lightly polished by us, Sozzani writes, "Let's step back. It is true that the models of color are a very small percentage. It is also true that those who succeed, then become famous and remain forever, whether Naomi, Iman, Pat Cleveland, or Jourdan Dunn, Liya Kebede, Tyra Banks, and many others." Sozzani puts the origins of the problem in modeling agencies and their scouting methods, which largely target Eastern Europe and (the whiter parts of) South America: "There would be more if the agencies did more scouting in that direction." Of course, you could also say that if more magazines used black models, agencies would scout more of them. [Vogue.it] More »

Vogue Italia Runs Another All-Black Editorial

Jenna Sauers — Fri, 06 May 2011 16:20:00 EDT

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Vogue Italia is at it again: the May issue of the magazine features a 15-page Ellen von Unwerth editorial intended as a "Tribute to Black Beauties." More »

Every Day Is A Nice Day For A White Wedding At BHLDN

Dodai Stewart — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:25:00 EST

In January, an email went out, with the subject line: "What if Anthropologie did weddings?" It was a teaser for BHLDN, Anthropologie's new bride-centric venture. We wondered: What did the letters mean? Beverly Hills London? Bride Hates Little Dogs Now? Benedictine Holies Levitate Directly Northward? Babies Help Liven Date Night? Brides Have Large Daunting Needs? More »

Italian Vogue's New All-Black Fashion Spread

Jenna Sauers — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:20:00 EST

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For the first time since its famous all-black issue of July, 2008, Italian Vogue has printed a magnificent 17-page editorial, featuring twelve black models. The story is definitely reaching for a languid, finger-curled, Harlem Renaissance feeling. Let's explore. More »

Victoria's Secret's Racist Titillation Strategy

Dodai Stewart — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:02:00 EST

A curious thing about the Victoria's Secret commercials and fashion show: Despite the valiant efforts of everyone involved, the results are decidedly not sexy. More »

The Latest Blackface Fashion Shoot Is Extra-Tasteful

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:40:00 EDT

The October issue of the fashion magazine Numéro features an editorial spread in which French model and Estée Lauder face Constance Jablonski poses in a brown Afro wig and dark makeup with this season's second-hottest accessory: a black baby. More »

Fashion Week Diversity By The Numbers

Jenna Sauers — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:47:51 EDT

In September of 2007, it was reported that of all the 101 shows that took place during New York fashion week, one third employed zero models of color. Since then, we've tried to track diversity on the runway every season. More »

Delusional Max Azria Believes He's The King Of Diversity In Fashion

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:20:00 EDT

Max Azria's shows tend to have a few defining features: a flirty aesthetic, a neutral palette of fabrics, and — for the past umpteen seasons — an almost all-white cast of models. Yesterday, I asked him why that is. More »

Is Fashion Smart?

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:38:00 EDT

Paper editor Kim Hastreiter and incoming T editor Sally Singer dance around a key question in this long, fairly insightful conversation: Is it really possible to be a smart person and like fashion? More »

How Many Black Models Were In The September Issues?

Dodai Stewart — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:50:00 EDT

In fall 2007, WWD and The New York Times published pieces about the absence of black models on the fashion runways. We did our own tally of black models in fashion magazines, and came up with some shocking statistics. More »

Fashion's Diversity Problem Remarkably Still A Problem

Jenna Sauers — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:20:00 EDT

"I'd like to say that these bigger girls are going to be around in a few seasons, but I'm not sure that's true. The more extreme the trend, the more quickly it passes," says casting director Natalie Joos. More »

Vogue Just Might Be Culturally Relevant Again

Jenna Sauers — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:35:37 EDT

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Vogue has long been derided for being silly and out-of-touch, for persistently printing the annoying ramblings of Plum Sykes and Marina Rust, and for serving as a tedious showcase for $64k gold-plated fur coats. More »

Condé Nast "Reviewing" Derek Blasberg's Employment

Jenna Sauers — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EDT

The Derek Blasberg apologias are trickling in — hardly surprising considering Blasberg, for his 27 years, is wealthy and well-connected. But in asking for money from a company he intended to write about, Blasberg may have jeopardized his job. More »

Did Halle Berry Nab Cover Of September Vogue?

Jenna Sauers — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:20:00 EDT

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According to one rumor, yes. The actress's cover was allegedly confirmed by sources inside the company. More »

When "Big Lips Don't Work:" The Struggles Of A Black Model

Dodai Stewart — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:40:00 EDT

Click to viewTwo minutes into the short documentary film The Colour Of Beauty, a modeling agent says: "When [a model] comes in with big eyes, big nose, big lips… Things that are common traits in African-Americans — it doesn't work." More »

Fashion Enthusiasts Ponder Vogue Africa

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:40:00 EDT

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Blogger/stylist/former model Rosemary Kokuhilwa writes: "I think it's about time we have Vogue magazine in Africa." She's referring to images by Paris-based Cameroonian photographer Mario Epanya, which illustrate what Vogue Africa could look like. Good idea? Yes and no: More »

Post Critic Sees 85%-White Fashion Week As Example Of Progress

Jenna Sauers — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST

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"The fashion industry sent a commendably eclectic array of models down the New York runways this month. The women were more diverse in ethnicity, age and size," writes Robin Givhan. She must have watched a different season than we did. More »

Italian Vogue Embraces The Black, The Curvy

Dodai Stewart — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST

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The good news? Vogue Italia's new websites embrace black people and curvy models. The bad news? Vogue Black and Vogue Curvy are two separate sites, sequestered from the main Vogue Italia homepage. More »

Fewer Models Of Color Work New York's Fashion Runways

Jenna Sauers — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST

After tracking diversity on the runways for several seasons, we took off last September because we thought the fashion industry was finally coming to its senses. Models of color were getting booked! How disappointing, then, to tally this season's numbers. More »

Fancy Men's Magazine Jumps On Blackface Trend

Jenna Sauers — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:20:00 EST

Cool things about this L'Officiel Hommes spread: hey look, a black man is in an all-American-themed shoot! Terrible things about this L'Officiel Hommes spread: that's not a black model. That's a white dude in an afro wig and makeup. More »

March's Teen Vogue Dishes Up Diversity With A Smile

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:40:00 EST

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While Vogue may have a history of passing over models of color, little sis Teen Vogue has a much better scorecard. And the March issue keeps the diversity alive. More »

Let The Music Play

Dodai Stewart — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:15:00 EST

[New York, February 4. Image via Getty.]

Miss J. Fights With Tyra Sometimes

Jenna Sauers — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

This week, Tyra henchman/runway coach extraordinaire Miss J. Alexander stopped by the Hue-Man Bookstore to promote his book. He talked about being the seventh of ten children, coming out, and the son he had with a French lesbian. More »

Dear Santa: Have You Seen The December J. Crew?

Dodai Stewart — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

You see, Mr. Claus, I think we should talk about it. More »

Black Models Tell Teen Vogue How Hard It Is To Be Black Models

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EDT

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Teen Vogue has not one but two black models on the November cover. Inside, Chanel Iman says of Jourdan Dunn: "I could sit here and tell you, 'I love Jourdan! We've always been the best of friends!' But we haven't." More »

Elle's Photoshoot With Amber Rose: Asinine, Ass-Centric

Dodai Stewart — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT

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Model Amber Rose has her own photo spread in the October issue of Elle magazine, but unlike some of the other celebrity types inside, Kanye's ladyfriend didn't exactly get the "high fashion" treatment. More »

Black Models Seek Fashion Paradigm Shift

Jenna Sauers — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EDT

Bethann Hardison, who has long battled the fashion industry's tacit racism, organized a get-together for models of color and casting directors like James Scully and Anita Bitton at Deitch Projects' Kehinde Wiley show, just in time for fashion week. [Modelinia] More »

PYT Repeat After Me

Anna Holmes — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:20:00 EDT

Chanel. Sessilee. Jourdan. Arlenis. Gorgeous, and not a Naomi to be found. [Models.com] More »

Naked Black Women With Clothed Counterparts? Quelle Surprise

LatoyaPeterson — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:20:00 EDT

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When viewing a fashion spread, you can approach the image from a variety of angles: advertising, or as art, or as part of a complicated cultural standard. How you see it depends on where you sit. (NSFW after the jump.) More »

First Black Vogue Cover Model Looks Back

Dodai Stewart — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:40:00 EDT

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Thirty-five years ago this month, Beverly Johnson — photographed by the legendary Francesco Scavullo — landed the cover of Vogue. It was August 1974 and she was the magazine's first black cover model. Johnson tells the L.A. Times' Caroline Ryder: More »

Why Photograph A Black Woman In A Cage?

Jenna Sauers — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Amber Rose's photo shoot for the latest issue of Complex magazine has some wondering about fashion's ongoing fixation on the idea that black women are animals. More »

Naomi Sims, 1948-2009: From Foster Care To Fashion Mags

Dodai Stewart — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:40:00 EDT

Naomi Sims, the first black model on the cover of Ladies' Home Journal in November 1968, died over the weekend at the age of 61. Her obituaries reveal a classic American rags-to-riches tale: More »

5 Guesses Why Vogue Is Hurting

Dodai Stewart — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:20:00 EDT

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Every year Vogue publishes an epic, huge, "Fall Fashion" September issue. This year, things are not exactly going as planned. More »

Black Women Love Makeup, But Does The Beauty Industry Love Them Back?

Dodai Stewart — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:00:00 EDT

Essence magazine held a "Smart Beauty" panel last week, and WWD has the sad, tragic details: More »

Naomi Campbell Sobers Up, Puts Down The Crack(Berry)

TatianaTheAnonymousModel — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:30:00 EDT

Naomi Campbell: "Some people can handle a drink or a line of cocaine, but I've finally come to realize that for me, it's all or nothing — and it has to be nothing." [E! Online]

Smell Like Amanda Lepore For Under $1,000; Supermodel Births Superbaby

TatianaTheAnonymousModel — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:30:00 EST

Amanda Lepore has a scent which is more art project than perfume — sold at a gallery for $950, the crystal bottle contains notes of steamed rice, mandarins, champagne, and cucumber. It's fermented. [NY Times]

Will The Credit Crunch Mean Fewer Black Models?

Dodai Stewart — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:20:00 EST

Even though we just counted models of color on the runways (as we did last year), and found that numbers are increasing, a London model agent says the recession loves blue eyes and blonde hair. More »

How Did New York Fashion Week's 116 Shows Treat Models Of Color?

TatianaTheAnonymousModel — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST

Everyone's been talking about whether this season, designers and casting directors would be putting more faces of color in their runway lineups. Well! We have the facts and we're voting a qualified yes. Let's explore. More »