The first objectionable phrase Martin and Visconti discuss is, "You're not diverse." Visconti tells an anecdote about a hospital system employee who told him that the system was "81% diverse." She really meant it was 81% women and people of color, and Visconti uses her words to talk about the assumption that white people are not a part of a diverse workplace. Obviously diversity means including a wide variety of different groups, and if one of those groups is white men, the entire community isn't necessarily less diverse. However, this is more of an issue of language than Visconti makes it out to be — measuring the company's "percentage of diversity" is misleading, and calling a single person diverse or not diverse is just bizarre. The assumption that white people can't be included in diversity at all is a bad one, but we're not sure how often people actually make it.

Visconti also has some odd things to say about the concept of white privilege. He tells Martin,

White privilege, I tell other white people, is the most amazing thing. You can give away your white privilege by helping other people gain access, and it never diminishes your white privilege. You're born with it, and it remains with you, so it's the gift that keeps on giving.

Throughout the interview, Visconti comes across as someone who genuinely wants to work toward a more equal society. However, his idea of white privilege as a "gift" that whites can bestow on others is somewhat paternalistic. It promulgates a view of race relations in which white people "give access" to minorities, rather than everyone working together to create equal access. It also assumes that white privilege is something you can give away, when the idea that it "remains with you" is probably closer to the truth. Helping a person of color does not make that person white, and does not confer upon them all the unconscious benefits that society gives to whites. All people can work to reduce the influence of privilege, but that involves a widespread change of behaviors and attitudes — not individual "gifts."

That said, Visconti does have some good ideas about race relations. He says no one should ever say the phrase, "There's no way you as a white person can understand." He should have mentioned that people of color do have experiences that white people probably can't fully understand (similarly, a man can't really know what it's like to be a woman, nor can a woman know what it's like to be a man). However, he's right that by focusing only on differences or on what is incommunicable, "you eliminate potential allies, and you shut people down."

Many in the past have said that white people have no place in creating equality, or in erasing the wrongs they themselves have perpetrated, but Visconti makes a persuasive case for including whites in the drive to end discrimination. He mentions the many white men he has known whose lives were affected by prejudice, perhaps through an interracial relationship or a gay family member. Many of these men want to work against the discrimination they have seen, and Visconti argues that their help is valuable. Of his work for diversity, he says, "what this is all about is enabling people to bring themselves to work 100%, so they can be engaged, productive, and innovative, because their heart is in it." Despite his missteps, Visconti's heart seems to be in it too, and his message of inclusion deserves a hearing.

Diversity 101: What Not to Say to White Colleagues [NPR]
9 Things NEVER to Say to White Colleagues [DiversityInc]

• Adam Lambert put an end to the speculation about his sexuality by going out to a nightclub last night with his boyfriend Drake LaBry. The two held hands and occasionally kissed.

• "When people saw Adam walk in all heads turned in his direction," said a source. "And it was obvious Adam was so proud to be there with Drake. So proud. As people were coming over to meet the singer Adam made a point to turn to Drake and introduce him to the crowd as his boyfriend." [Star]
• Michael Jackson told the promoter who is planning to sue him to perform in a concert with Janet Jackson and the Jackson 5 that he will do the concert in 2010. However, the promoter says he doesn't trust Jackson's word and he'll still sue unless he signs a contract. [TMZ]
• Diversity, the dance group that beat Susan Boyle, has already been booked by Kanye West to performat the Wireless Festival at London's Hyde Park in July, and it's rumored the Michael Jackson wants to work with them. [The Sun]
• Seven out of 10 Brits think Susan Boyle shouldn't have been allowed to appear on Britain's Got Talent according to a survey of 3,000 people. The article notes that she has "learning difficulties," and that people feel contestants on reality shows should undergo psychological testing before competing. [The Telegraph]
• At the trial yesterday of Tiny Virginia Makopo, the former matron of Oprah's school for girls, a teacher testified that Makopo forced one of the girls to watch pornography. [The Daily Mail]
• Here's some clips of Spencer and Heidi Pratt on the first episode of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here complaining that they're big celebrities, and they want NBC executives to get them out of there. It's may be fake drama for the cameras. Bonus: At the end of the clip Heidi eats a rat's tail. [TMZ]
• Or maybe it's not so fake. After Spencer and Heidi Pratt quit and rejoined the show several times during the first episode, NBC flew in Daniel Baldwin to join his brother Stephen Baldwin, who is already in the jungle, and Holly Montag, Heidi's sister. [People]
• Last night Lauren Conrad's last episode of The Hills aired. She wrote on her blog: It was a bittersweet night for me. A part of me is sad to say goodbye to something that has been such a prominent part of my life, but I know that it was time and I am very happy with my decision," adding, "From what I've heard the next season will not disappoint." [Perez Hilton]
• Last night's episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8 showed Kate Gosselin celebrating her birthday with the kids while Jon Gosselin was in Utah with friends for a few days. Now a source says that his girlfriend Deanna Hummel was in Utah with him too. In other news, TLC has ordered 40 more episodes of the show and posted an ad on Craigslist looking for more families with multiples who want to appear on TLC. [The L.A. Times]
• The trophy Shawn Johnson won on Dancing With the Stars is in peices. "We had to take them to New York and they shipped them back and when they opened the box, they were in pieces," said her dancing partner Mark Ballas. "They're fixing them." [E!]
• 50 Cent said in court today that he wouldn't have bought Mike Tyson's mansion if he knew it needed millions in renovations. He's suing BVH Integrated Services, which he hired to inspect the home for him. They estimated it needed $500,000 in repairs, but so far 50 Cent has spent $6 million. [Associated Press]
• 50 Cent will star in the police corruption drama Caught in the Crossfire with Chris Klein and Adam Rodriquez. [Variety]
• After having dinner together at Tom Hanks' house, Jennifer Aniston invited Paul McCartney over to her home for lunch. [The Sun]
• Brandy has reached a settlement with the children of the woman who died in her 2006 car crash. Awatef Aboudihaj's two kids will receive $300,000 each. Her husband rejected Brandy's settlement offer in February. [TMZ]
• Though some have claimed Robert Pattinson has airbrushed-on abs in New Moon, costar Kellan Lutz says he's been training with fellow star Taylor Lautner. "Taylor been training Rob a lot, and that's why he's got such ripped abs. Rob's been working hard. He's trying to be the best he can be," says Lutz. [The Daily Express]
• Another day, another Robert Pattinson-Kristen Stewart rumor. A source says, "Robert and Kristen spent a lot of alone time together when they filmed the first Twilight movie - they'd stay up most of the night talking, laughing, playing music. Although [Robert] knew Kristen had a boyfriend, he made no secret of the fact that he was crazy about her." [Perez Hilton]
• The Real Housewives of New Jersey werer on the fourth hour of the Today show this morning. Danielle Staub alluded to the allegations that she was involved ina kidnapping and extortion plot saying, "I can just say, it's out there and it will be addressed. And I will definitely touch on all the subjects that are crucially in need of touching on at the time when the time is right." Also, Jacqueline Laurita couldn't be on the show because she's about to give birth to her third child and Teresa Giudice is pregnant. [People]
• Zac Efron will make a cameo on Entourage. Here's some scintillating gossip from the Beverly Hills Niketown where he was filming: "He was filming a scene and talking on his cell phone," says one Niketown employee. "None of the other Entourage cast was here. He was really nice." [E!]
• Rashida Jones and Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau have been seen out together many times this past week, fueling rumors that they are dating. [Politico]
• Jamie Kennedy showed up for an interview on the Johnjay & Rich radio show yesterday with girlfriend Jennifer Love Hewitt in tow and she did most of the talking. She said he'd better propose to her by next year and talked about Carrie Underwood snubbing her. You can listen to it here: [Perez Hilton]
• When talking to a gossip columnist, Vanessa Minnillo pointed to a 5-carat ring on her middle finger and said, "It will be 10 carats when it moves to the fourth finger!" as a not-so-subtle hint to Nick Lachey. [People]
• Michael Hall, husband of Michael Caine's daughter Natasha, is being sued by a former business associate who says he didn't pay him his cut of a large property deal. [The Daily Express]
• Trent Reznor says his former protégé Marilyn Manson is "a malicious guy and will step on anybody's face to succeed and cross any line of decency. Seeing him now, drugs and alcohol now rule his life and he's become a dopey clown." [Rolling Stone]
• Stephen Dorff is reportedly dating his publicist. [The Daily Express]
• Joan Rivers is selling the Upper East Side penthouse she bought 20 years ago for $25 million. You can check out pictures of her home, which looks like it was modeled after Versailles, at the link. [New York Magazine]
• Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen went out together last night to celebrate a friend's birthday. An onlooker says, "They danced non-stop with their friends and playfully took photos of each other... They loved the music the deejay was spinning." [People]
• Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters visited a Palestinian refugee camp next to Israel's West Bank wall today. he said he hopes that "this thing, this awful thing, is destroyed soon." [Yahoo]
• Madonna will perform in Tel Aviv on September 1 for the last stop on her Sticky and Sweet tour. Her website says she's "very excited about returning to Israel for my last and final show." [USA Today]
• It seems Morrissey has recovered from his undisclosed illness. He's rescheduled four cancelled concerts for later this summer. [The Independent]
• Exene Cervenka of the punk band X, co-lead vocalist has revealed that she has Multiple Sclerosis. "After some months of not feeling 100% healthy, I recently had some medical tests run and the prognosis is that I am suffering from Multiple Sclerosis," Cervenka said. "Apparently, it has been affecting me for quite some time." [Rolling Stone]
• Diane Kruger is considering moving to Vancouver to be closer to Joshua Jackson. "My boyfriend's show [Fringe] is being transferred there," says Kruger. "He's from there. I'm going up this weekend but to see what it's like." But, she says, "it doesn't matter where we're going to live. We have no attachments anywhere. Home is where the other person is and that's really great. I could live anywhere as long as he's there." [The Telegraph]
• When Sports Illustrated reporter Dan Patrick asked Danica Patrick about taking performance enhancing drugs, she made some innocuous joke about it not being cheating if you don't get caught. This caused a huge controversy in the racing community and now she's apologized saying, "The whole interview with Dan [Patrick], and every other interview I've ever done with Dan, the questioning comes from left field. It was just a joke and I really apologize if it came across any other way. ... It was a bad joke. There is a lot of sensitivity in our culture about [performance-enhancing drugs]. With all the baseball stuff, I've followed it and this is a real problem. It's a shame kids think they have to do this to get ahead. It's very dangerous. ... It's absolutely not what I'm about. I've learned my lesson on what I should be joking about." [Sports Illustrated]
• When asked if she loves being pregnant with twins, Molly Ringwald said, "No. I don't hate it, though. There is something wonderful about it." She added, "I find it difficult to be restricted in my movements and to feel vulnerable all the time. I am used to feeling very strong and active." [People]
• "I never hook up," says Katy Perry, "If I really like a person, then I'll go on a date. But you'll never catch me just randomly making out with someone. I'm not casual at all. I've always been into making a connection with someone. That's what it's all about for me. Besides, it's sexier to be mysterious and not give it away." [People]
• Beth Ditto of The Gossip says she's willing to start a "band feud" with Katy Perry. She explains, "['I Kissed A Girl'] is a] boner dyke anthem for straight girls who like to turn guys on by making out or, like, faking gay. I hate Katy Perry! She's offensive to gay culture, I'm so offended. She's just riding on the backs of our culture without having to pay any of the dues and not being actually lesbian or anything at all." [The Daily Express]
• Nia Vardalos says: "In 2004 I came to the end of a 10-year infertility battle that knocked me over. So I decided to just quietly withdraw and write, and I enjoyed it... Now having come through it, I highly recommend it. I think when you let go and try and stop making things happen, you come out of it quite invigorated," Vardalos told Reuters. [Reuters]
• Michael Sheen, who played Tony Blair in The Queen received an OBE from the real queen for his service to drama, even though Queen Elizabeth probably isn't familiar with his work. He said, "I heard through a fairly reliable source that there was an agreement she was not going to watch the film and Mr. Blair wasn't going to watch the film either." [The Star]

There were 116 labels that held shows at the recently ended New York fashion week; that's 3,697 spots in runway and presentation lineups. Of those, 668 were given to models of color — which, at just over 18%, is 6% better than one year ago. (And certainly better than in the fall of 2007, when WWD reported that one-third of the New York shows used no models of color at all.)

The 668 spots that went to models of color were divided as follows:

Legend
Yellow = Black models
Red = Asian models
Blue = Latina models
Green= Other ethnicities

Last February, the biggest slice of runway spots for models of color — 41% — went to Asian girls, and only 38% of the models of color used were black.

I also noted when opening and closing spots in runway shows were given to models of color, since opening or closing a show is considered such a coup. Designers choose opening and closing models who will set the tone for their vision of the season, and being picked for the position is a big deal within the fashion industry. Because of the economy, there were an unusually high number of static presentations this season since they are cheaper to mount than runway shows, and tableaux vivants of models do not have opening or closing positions. Unfortunately I didn't keep track of exactly how many presentations there were vs. actual shows, so you'll have to take my best estimate that there were around 160 opening and closing spots up for grabs in New York this season. Of those, Latina models opened or closed 5 times, Asian models opened or closed 3 times, and black models opened or closed 10 times.

The fact that black models became not only the largest single ethnic group on the runways — save for whites — and the non-white ethnic group who closed and opened the most shows definitely demonstrates that the diversity message people like Bethann Hardison and Diane von Furstenberg have been propounding for years now is at last getting through.

The news is not, however, all positive. There were 7 shows that had no models of color at all. Those designers were: Altuzarra, Davidelfin, Jenni Kayne, Julian Louie, Koi Suwannagate, Temperley London, Vera Wang Lavender Label.

And there were 19 shows that had some models of color, but no black models. They were: Alexandre Herchcovitz, Behnaz Sarafpour, Costello Tagliapietra, Erin Fetherston, Halston, Marchesa, Max Azria, Milly, Miss Sixty, Monique Lhuillier, Nicole Miller, Philosophy, Reem Acra, Tibi, TSE, United Bamboo, Vena Cava, VPL, Vivienne Tam.

The 116 designer shows I looked at break down in terms of diversity as follows:

Legend:

Blue = Shows with 0 models of color

Red = Shows whose casts included 1-9% models of color (this slice includes the designers BCBG Max Azria, Calvin Klein, Cynthia Rowley, Donna Karan, Erin Fetherston, Hervé Leger by Max Azria, Jill Stuart, Marchesa, Matthew Williamson, Max Azria, Miss Sixty, Monique Lhuillier, Narciso Rodriguez, Phi, Philosophy, Proenza Schouler, Reem Acra, Rodarte, Tuleh, Vivienne Tam)

Yellow = Shows whose casts included 10-19% models of color (this slice includes the designers Alexander Wang, Anna Sui, Behnaz Sarafpour, Carolina Herrera, Derek Lam, DKNY, Doo.Ri, Jonathan Saunders, L'Wren Scott, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Nicole Miller, Rebecca Taylor, Richard Chai, Thakoon, Tommy Hilfiger, Zac Posen)

Green = Shows whose casts included 20-29% models of color (this slice includes the designers 3.1 Philip Lim, Betsey Johnson, Diesel Black Gold, Isaac Mizrahi, Jason Wu, Lacoste, Malandrino, Nanette Lepore, Ohne Titel, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang)

Purple = Shows whose casts included 30-39% models of color (this slice includes the designers Badgley Mishka, Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch, Yigal Azrouël)

Orange = Shows whose casts included 40-49% models of color (this slice includes the designer Oscar de la Renta)

Brown = Shows whose casts included 50-59% models of color (this slice includes the designers Ports 1961, Rachel Roy, Victoria Beckham)

Gray = Shows whose casts included 60% or more models of color (this slice comprises the designers Sophie Theallet and Tracy Reese)

For purposes of comparison, the U.S. Census reported in 2006 that this country is just under 74% white — so an 18% non-white runway population is still well below what might be considered truly representative. But New York fashion week this season was also closer to representative of overall U.S. diversity than it has ever been since this sort of data started being kept.

Here are the raw data for 25 of the top shows:

3.1 Philip Lim
9 runway spots to models of color / 41 total runway spots
21% of runway spots to models of color
Wanessa Milhomem (Latina)
Tao Okamoto (Asian, O)
Emma Pei (Asian)
Hyoni Kang (Asian)
Liu Wen (Asian)
Han Jin (Asian)
Du Juan (Asian)
Gracie Carvalho (Black)
Georgie Badiel (Black)

Alexander Wang
4/40
10%
Liu Wen (Asian)
Lakshmi Menon (Asian)
Tao Okamoto (Asian)
Jourdan Dunn (Black)

Anna Sui
6/50
12%
Liu Wen (Asian, 2 looks)
Du Juan (Asian, 2 looks)
Jourdan Dunn (Black, 2 looks)

Badgley Mishka
11/33
33%
Flavia de Oliveira (Latina, 2 looks)
Bruna Tenorio (Latina, 2 looks)
Lakshmi Menon (Asian, 3 looks)
Hyoni Kang (Asian, 2 looks)
Sessilee Lopez (Black, 2 looks, C)

Calvin Klein
1/35
3%
Lyndsey Scott (Black)

Carolina Herrera
5/34
14%
Lakshmi Menon (Asian)
Du Juan (Asian)
Liu Wen (Asian)
Jourdan Dunn (Black)
Gracie Carvalho (Black)

Diane von Furstenberg
12/39
31%
Caroline Ribeiro (Latina)
Bruna Tenorio (Latina)
Flavia de Oliveira (Latina)
Du Juan (Asian)
Emma Pei (Asian)
Han Jin (Asian)
Lakshmi Menon (Asian)
Sessilee Lopez (Black)
Chanel Iman (Black)
Arlenis Sosa (Black)
Gracie Carvalho (Black)
Georgie Badiel (Black)

Donna Karan
3/45
7%
Jourdan Dunn (Black, 2 looks)
Arlenis Sosa (Black)

Isaac Mizrahi
9/40
23%
Tao Okamoto (Asian)
Aminata Niaria (Black, 2 looks)
Arlenis Sosa (Black, 2 looks)
Georgie Badiel (Black, 2 looks)
Sessilee Lopez (Black)
Jourdan Dunn (Black)

Jason Wu
10/35
29%
Lakshmi Menon (Asian, 2 looks)
Liu Wen (Asian, 2 looks)
Du Juan (Asian)
Jourdan Dunn (Black, 2 looks, O)
Arlenis Sosa (Black)
Sessilee Lopez (Black)
Chanel Iman (Black)

Malandrino
12/47
26%
Joan Smalls (Latina)
Eugenia Mandzhieva (Asian, 3 looks)
Emma Pei (Asian, 2 looks)
Georgie Badiel (Black)
Aminata Niaria (Black)
Rahma Mohamed (Black)
Sessilee Lopez (Black, 3 looks)

Marc Jacobs
10/60
17%
Daiane Conterato (Latina)
Bruna Tenorio (Latina)
Hye Park (Asian)
Han Jin (Asian)
Du Juan (Asian)
Tao Okamoto (Asian)
Chanel Iman (Black)
Sessilee Lopez (Black)
Georgie Badiel (Black)
Jourdan Dunn (Black)

Michael Kors
7/55
12%
Caroline Ribeiro (Latina)
Bruna Tenorio (Latina)
Liu Wen (Asian)
Han Jin (Asian)
Jourdan Dunn (Black)
Chanel Iman (Black)
Arlenis Sosa (Black)

Monique Lhuillier
1/12
8%
Cecilia Mendez (Latina)

Narciso Rodriguez
3/39
8%
Liu Wen (Asian)
Sessilee Lopez (Black)
Arlenis Sosa (Black)

Oscar de la Renta
25/51
49%
Daiane Conterato (Latina, 3 looks)
Bruna Tenorio (Latina, 2 looks)
Cecilia Mendez (Latina, 2 looks)
Marilia Dutra (Latina, 2 looks)
Joan Smalls (Latina)
Hye Park (Asian)
Jourdan Dunn (Black, 3 looks, O, C)
Ubah Hassan (Black, 3 looks)
Sessilee Lopez (Black, 2 looks)
Georgie Badiel (Black, 2 looks)
Aminata Niaria (Black, 2 looks)
Arlenis Sosa (Black, 2 looks)
Tara Gill (Other — Native American)

Philosophy
2/24
8%
Daiane Conterato (Latina)
Selina Khan (Asian)

Proenza Schouler
3/38
8%
Daiane Conterato (Latina)
Liu Wen (Asian)
Jourdan Dunn (Black)

Ralph Lauren
16/55
29%
Cecilia Mendez (Latina, 3 looks, O)
Bruna Tenorio (Latina, 3 looks)
Tao Okamoto (Asian, 2 looks)
Liu Wen (Asian)
Shu Pei Qin (Asian)
Selina Khan (Asian)
Ubah Hassan (Black, 3 looks)
Jourdan Dunn (Black)
Gracie Carvalho (Black)

Rodarte
3/35
9%
Daul Kim (Asian)
Emma Pei (Asian)
Jourdan Dunn (Black)

Thakoon
5/35
14%
Daiane Conterato (Latina, 2 looks)
Bruna Tenorio (Latina)
Jourdan Dunn (Black, 2 looks, C)

Tommy Hilfiger
5/29
13%
Du Juan (Asian)
Eugenia Mandzhieva (Asian)
Jourdan Dunn (Black)
Sessilee Lopez (Black)
Arlenis Sosa (Black)

Vera Wang
8/30
27%
Bruna Tenorio (Latina)
Daiane Conterato (Latina)
Wanessa Milhomem (Latina)
Shu Pei Qin (Asian)
Tao Okamoto (Asian)
Liu Wen (Asian)
Gracie Carvalho (Black)
Aminata Niaria (Black)

Yigal Azrouël
11/28
39%
Bruna Tenorio (Latina, 2 looks)
Daiane Conterato (Latina, 2 looks)
Lais Oliveira (Latina, 2 looks)
Tao Okamoto (Asian, 2 looks)
Hye Park (Asian)
Kinée Diouf (Black, 2 looks)

Zac Posen
5/43
12%
Du Juan (Asian)
Alek Wek (Black, 2 looks)
Chanel Iman (Black)
Jourdan Dunn (Black)

About These Numbers

There's a certain undeniable level of weirdness to looking through runway slideshows on Style.com (and I did only consider presentations and shows by designers big enough to attract Style.com's attention) and counting the models of color. It's hard to put individuals of mixed backgrounds into neat little categories, especially when ethnic labels still carry so much weight within society. It seems thoroughly antique and not a little distasteful.

So, why count models? The fact remains that the fashion industry plays a huge role in promulgating ideas of beauty within Western culture, and how the people in charge of casting for the runways — plus the magazines, and the billboards, and the TV spots and the banner ads — choose to represent beauty has a huge impact on, well, pretty much everyone. It's also naive to think that casting happens anything but deliberately: models of color are still booked as Models Of Color, so noticing when they work and for whom is, in a way, natural.

That's not to say it was easy, or that I'm standing behind these classifications as the be-all and end-all. Take Sessilee Lopez. She may be a Spanish-speaking Latina magazine covergirl:

But in many ways, her career was made when she was chosen as one of the cover models for Vogue Italia's groundbreaking all-black issue last July:

So, I had to pick, and I chose to count Sessilee as black. Gracie Carvalho, a Brazilian of African heritage, and Chanel Iman, who is famously of mixed African-American and Korean background, are two examples of other models I chose to classify as black who could have potentially ended up in other categories.

Latina models were the hardest to count. Sometimes, dark-eyed and dark-haired Spaniards, like Clara Alonso and Sheila Marquez, jumped out at me in runway lineups — but I didn't count them as Latina, because they're both European. I classified the Puerto Rican model Joan Smalls as Latina, even though I just noticed Dodai counted her as black a year ago. But I also put the brown-eyed, fair-skinned Brazilian Daiane Conterato in the Latina camp, even though sometimes when I saw her on the runway, I would take her for white. Nationality isn't much guide to a person's ethnicity. South American models like Pilar Solchaga, Flo Gennaro, and Isabeli Fontana, who have European heritage, I chose not to count as Latina. Them's the breaks.

Now, my Google history is full of fascinating trips to Wikipedia to learn about the Kalmyk people (Eugenia Mandzhieva, a Russian national I counted as Asian, is Kalmyk) and my room-mate heard me chanting "Natasha Poly Natasa Vojnovic Vlada Roslyakova Roza Gough Georgie Badiel Bruna Tenorio Tao Okamoto Olga Scherer Selina Khan Katie Fogarty Fatima Siad Shanina Shaik Sharan Bala Behati Prinsloo Hye Park Ubah Hassan..." softly in my sleep last night. But the good news is, the runways of New York are becoming a more accurate reflection of who we are as a country. And while fashion still has some distance to go, that's worth cheering.

Granted, to piece that together, I could have just looked at the banner for the New York shows on Style.com. From left, I think I can recognize Iris Strubegger, Sessilee Lopez backstage at Marc Jacobs, an Asian model I think is Han Jin, and then, to the right of the "Fall 2009" text, there's Tao Okamoto, a white model I can't place, and a tiny image of Jourdan Dunn. That's four models of color and two white models, happily sharing the same space, picked as emblems of the season to come. For now, the banner announcing the New York shows is actually more diverse than the shows were. But if this trend continues — and remember, WWD found one-third of shows in September of '07 had no models of color at all — soon that might not be the case.

Related: Has The 'Obama Effect' Come To Runway Castings? [NY Times]
Talk To The Newsroom: Cathy Horyn [NY Times]
New York City Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear [Style.com]

Earlier: Fashion Week Runways Were Almost A Total Whitewash

Beginning when she was just 20, and the only black female news reporter in New York, Maynard covered such stories as the funeral of Robert Kennedy, the Apollo space missions, and the medical system in China. With husband Robert Maynard, she also founded the Maynard Institute, which trains minority reporters, editors, and newsroom managers. And she proposed that the American Society of Newspaper Editors strive for racial and ethnic parity in newsrooms by 2000. Sadly, that goal has now been extended to 2025.

Maynard described her ownership of the Tribune as her greatest accomplishment. According to onetime managing editor Eric Newton, the paper had an "utter lack of a glass ceiling." "The higher up you went in the newsroom management," he says, "the more diverse it got." Maynard was also known at the paper as a stickler for accuracy, saying, "If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out." Says the Maynard Institute's former president, A. Steve Montiel, "She was a fearless, astute champion of diversity in news media. We've lost a leader who made a difference."

Nancy Hicks Maynard Dies at 61; A Groundbreaking Black Journalist [NY Times]
Diversity advocate Nancy Hicks Maynard dies at 61 [SF Chronicle]
Nancy Maynard [Maynard Institute Official Site]

Keegan Singh, stylist:

Every show I've been styling this season has had all ethnicities represented. I work with a designer to help them achieve an overall modern look. To get a modern look, you need to represent a diverse group of people. You can't seem modern if you're only showing how one group of people look.

I just like the look of having a diverse group of girls. I shouldn't say this, but I actually lean towards darker girls versus all those washed-out pale girls. I just don't look how all those pale, blonde girls look. I totally shouldn't say that! But, I don't know if there's anything the industry as a whole can do about diversity. As a designer, it's all about what your vision is of who your woman is. How do we make a standard for who you imagine your customer to be?

You make clothes for anyone who would happen to like you taste: That's what fashion is. And guess what? That's not all white women. Not just white women like clothes — I don't know why the industry hasn't realized that yet.

I don't cast models for who they are, but for how they fit a certain image I am trying to create. The image I have of who my customer is...I'm always thoughtful about making sure there's a broad range of girls in the show — it's nice to have a range of looks. But really, I don't think the problem is with us. We are not not casting models of different races. The problem us there aren't enough working ethnic models...There aren't enough minority girls to go around, so they're only walking in a few shows. That's just how it is.

Of 103 runway shows, there were 2,278 chances to feature a model on the runway. Of these, women of color (meaning black, Asian or noticeably non-white Hispanic) were used 298 times. An Asian model was used 124 times, a black model was used 112 times, and a Hispanic model was used 62 times.

In other words, the runways were 88% white or European. (According to the census, the U.S. is 73.9% white; that's a non-white population of almost 30%. New York City is 37% non-Hispanic white; 28% black; 27% Hispanic of any race and 10% Asian. )

Of the women of color, the majority were Asian.
41% Asian; 38% black; 21% Latina.

Black models were used a mere 5% of the time.

Because we counted instances of black models and not the models themselves, this number does not mean that 5% of the models were black. Chanel Iman, Jourdan Dunn, Atong and Samira walked in multiple shows.

Here are examples of castings for a few of the top shows:

Erin Fetherston
Chanel Iman, black
Daul Kim, Asian
Han Jin, Asian
Hye Park, Asian
Total models of color: 4
Total white models: 23
Total models: 27

DKNY
Jourdan Dunn, black
Daniela Borges, Brazilian*
Total models of color: 2
Total white models: 21
Total number of models: 23

Diane Von Furstenberg
Liya Kebede, black
Samira, black
Du Juan, Asian
Atong, black
Maria, Latina
Joan Smalls, black
Georgie, black
Lee, Asian
Alek Wek, black
Emma Pei, Asian
Camila Finn, Brazilian*
Bruna Tenorio, Brazilian*
Total models of color: 12
Total white models: 31
Total number of models: 43

Calvin Klein
Liya Kebede, black
Total models of color: 1
Total white models: 20
Total number of models: 21

Donna Karan
Chanel Iman, black
Total models of color: 1
Total white models: 22
Total number of models: 23

Jill Stuart
Total models of color: 0
Total white models: 20
Total number of models: 20

Jovovich-Hawk
Total models of color: 0
Total white models: 3
Total models: 3

Luca Luca
Atong, black
Total models of color: 1
Total white models: 19
Total models: 20

Tracy Reese
Sasha Gaye-Hunt, black
Dahlia, black
Hollis Wakeema, black
Sonny, Asian
Mo Wandan, Asian
Lily, black
Britnee Nicol, black
Cecilia Mendez, Argentine*
Total models of color: 8
Total white: 15
Total: 23

Zac Posen
Du Juan, Asian
Liya Kebede, black
Jourdan Dunn, black
Chanel Iman, black
Han Jin, Asian
Bruna Tenorio, Brazilian*
Total models of color: 6
Total white: 40
Total: 46

According to the Daily News, Michelle Smith, the designer behind Milly, blamed the modeling agencies for the lack of black models. "They're not giving us any people to choose from," she said. Funny how Zac Posen, Diane von Furstenberg and Tracy Reese didn't seem to have a problem!

Jourdan Dunn, who is British, is gearing up for London Fashion Week, and, reports This Is London, she's worried about the lack of diversity on those runways as well, saying: "London's not a white city so why should our catwalks be so white? I go to castings and see several black and Asian girls, then I get to the show and look around and there's just me and maybe one other coloured face. They just don't get picked."

*Clearly, many Brazilian and Argentine models are of European heritage; we tried to include the ones who offer a different look than the pale, Eastern-European model dominating the scene right now, like dark-eyed, dark haired Bruna, who is of indigenous Brazilian descent.

Earlier: In The Wake Of The Summits...
Modeling Matriarch Continues To Demand Diversity On The Runways