Is the fashion industry evil? Tomorrow, its British “bible” launches a cover featuring nine African models. Its Ghana-born editor has vowed to redress racism. Too little, too late?
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Vogue stirs racism debate with new cover
Is the fashion industry evil? Tomorrow, its British "bible" launches a cover featuring nine African models. Its Ghana-born editor has vowed to redress racism. Too little, too late?
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Everyone in the world of fashion pays attention to the cover of Vogue. It's the most important page in the industry.
Next month it will have an all African line-up that the magazine says will change what it means to be a model.
Fashion is often accused of racism, on its covers and runways. But Vogue's editor Edward Enninful wants to "give more space to African beauty" and celebrate models from across the continent.
In 1966, Donyale Luna became the first Black model to star on the magazine's cover. Fifty years after Vogue began. It took another 21 years before a second Black model, Naomi Campbell, joined her on the front page.
Edward Enninful says Black models are not a "trend" to be thrown "away after one season". He wants to support a new generation and show that high fashion can change for the better.
Some believe fashion is changing. In September 2018, Rihanna appeared on the cover of UK Vogue and Beyonce starred on the US version. The film Black Panther helped make African fashion popular and the industry was ready to celebrate Black talent.
In 2020, the murder of George Floyd and the #BlackLivesMatter movement kept the pressure for change going.
"There is no coming back from this," says Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli. Old ideas about beauty are gone.
The model Iman is also happy; "All hail our African models with their jet-black skin."
But not everyone is celebrating. Some say racism is a much bigger problem. Fashion is run by White people for White people and Black models are just a gimmick.
"Racism is at the heart of fashion," says Black businesswoman Kalkidan Legesse. "Of the 74 million textile workers worldwide, 80% are women of colour." They do poorly paid and dangerous work and the fashion brands make all the money.
Media expert Charles Whitaker says the fashion world assumes "Black covers don't sell". But there is no evidence this is the case.
On social media, Black fashion icons Rihanna and Beyonce have millions of followers. Fashion historian Frances Corner says: "there is no one bible" anymore.
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Is the fashion industry evil?
Out of style
Yes: Fashion sidelines Black people, but it also promotes an idea of beauty that is young, thin and able-bodied. It leads to eating disorders, anxiety and depression and makes ordinary people feel ugly.
No: Fashion is a form of art and fantasy. There is no longer one big industry with a single standard of beauty. So if people don't like Vogue fashion, there are many other options to choose from.
Or...?: The fashion industry is part of wider society. If we want to make fashion fair and ethical, we must challenge our own prejudices and ideas of beauty.
Keywords
Vogue - Fashion. A French word, it is also the title of the world's leading fashion magazine and a song by Madonna.
Runways - Fashion shows where designers showcase their clothing and accessories.
Edward Enninful - The Ghana-born stylist says "racism is part of my life" and was once questioned by security entering his own offices.
Naomi Campbell - In 2013 she formed a group called Diversity Coalition that named and shamed designers that failed to hire models of colour.
Beyonce - The American artist was photographed by Tyler Mitchell, the first African American photographer to shoot a Vogue cover.
Black Panther - The Black Panthers were a political organisation dedicated to fighting police brutality. They frequently clashed with police forces and came under attack from the American state.
George Floyd - An African-American man who died in Minneapolis in May 2020 when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Iman - In 1975, she was a Somali refugee living in Kenya when she was hired by a fashion photographer. She became the world's first black supermodel.
Gimmick - A publicity stunt to attract attention.
Vogue stirs racism debate with new cover
© Vogue Glossary
Vogue - Fashion. A French word, it is also the title of the world's leading fashion magazine and a song by Madonna.
Runways - Fashion shows where designers showcase their clothing and accessories.
Edward Enninful - The Ghana-born stylist says "racism is part of my life" and was once questioned by security entering his own offices.
Naomi Campbell - In 2013 she formed a group called Diversity Coalition that named and shamed designers that failed to hire models of colour.
Beyoncé - The American artist was photographed by Tyler Mitchell, the first African American photographer to shoot a Vogue cover.
Black Panther - The Black Panthers were a political organisation dedicated to fighting police brutality. They frequently clashed with police forces and came under attack from the American state.
George Floyd - An African-American man who died in Minneapolis in May 2020 when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Iman - In 1975, she was a Somali refugee living in Kenya when she was hired by a fashion photographer. She became the world's first black supermodel.
Gimmick - A publicity stunt to attract attention.