Will Diversity Be In Style During Fashion Week?

Fashion week kicks off tomorrow, and one thing we'll have our eye on is how many models of color make it on to the runways. New York's Daily News is also wondering if the media attention on the lack of diversity will make an impact on this season's shows. Reporter Patrick Huguenin interviewed several designers, and some seem optimistic: "I was pleasantly surprised this year," says Tracy Reese. "All the talk about it has made the agencies feel freer to show their whole portfolio. For a while there, it was one-note and now they might show a range that goes beyond what people might ask for." Designer Pamella Roland agrees: "Model casting has actually been easier this season," she says. But what about Jill Stuart, who was among the designers who did not use a single black, Latina or Asian model last season? More »

Italian Vogue's "All Black" Issue: A Guided Tour

"While tech heads on Friday lined up at the Apple store to buy the latest iPhone, fashionistas evidently hurried to newsstands across New York City to get their hands on the July Italian Vogue featuring all black models," reports WWD. A Condé Nast spokeswoman says the company increased newsstand distribution of the special issue by 40 percent in the U.S. Friday night (on my way to the commenter meetup), I walked by the newsstand on Avenue A, where I'd called and stopped in about a dozen times in search of Vogue Italia, and I jokingly shook my fist, damning the store for not having the issue. That's when I saw it in the window. I bought three copies. Flipping through the much-hyped issue is interesting: After the pull-out cover featuring four striking close ups (Liya Kebede, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn and Naomi Campbell), the next thirteen pages of ads — for Valentino, Prada, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Dior — all feature white faces. More »

Why Cast A Black Actress In Your Movie When You Can Get Mena Suvari In Cornrows?

Today's Los Angeles Times has a story about Mena Suvari, who is starring in a new film, Stuck, by Stuart Gordon. She plays Brandi, a young woman who hits a homeless man with her car late one night, sending him right through the windshield. Brandi panics and drives home (with the guy still in her windshield) and tries to go on with her life. The plot is based on a true story — the woman's name was Chante Mallard, and she hit a homeless man in 2001 after she spent an evening smoking pot, drinking and taking Ecstasy with friends. Her boyfriend later ditched the body in a park. Mallard is now serving a 50-year jail sentence. Mallard, it should be noted, is black. Mena Suvari is not. But she does wear cornrows to play the role of Brandi. More »