Republished from The Grio —
As New York’s fashion week comes to a close, fashion lovers are reflecting on the continued lack of diversity inside the fashion world. Still, there are some signs of progress, which is evidenced by a growing number of black designers many of whom try to utilize models of color.
Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim are identical twins and they are also budding fashion designers. The sisters launched their fashion line, Mataano, which means twins in Somali in 2008. The Somalia born, Washington, D.C.-bred duo says that they started their line because of a simple love for fashion but soon began seeing themselves as an example for other aspiring designers, and as business owners who could help employ models of color.
Idyl says, “We always try to represent the multicultural world we live in; fashion publications and fashion shows routinely portray the world as nearly mono-racial. For this reason we always use black, Spanish, white and Asian models. Sometimes, you feel pressure to use white models so that your brand will be more mainstream, but we’ve decided we’d rather use diverse models and grow organically than to succumb to the pressure of using white models in order to gain more appeal.”
LaMont Jones a longtime fashion journalist has attended over 1,300 fashion shows during New York’s spring and fall fashion weeks over the course of the last 23 seasons. Jones says as far as he’s concerned black designers have always done a good job of being inclusive. “While a white designer can send out a lot of white models and not a single black model, a black model can’t send out a whole bunch of black models and no white models without there being a problem.”
That problem Jones says is that without diverse lineups on the catwalks, black designers will be pigeonholed as black designers, and therefore not be able to appeal to a diverse clientele. He uses famed designer Tracy Reeseas an example of a black designer who has used black models, but whose been able to maintain favorability with diverse audiences. Jones editor of The Style Arbiter says that white designers don’t necessarily face the same pressures. “I did see black models in appreciable number at a lot of shows, but still at some shows there were none.”
He says this omission has to be intentional, because he says it’s impossible for a designer to not know that all their models are of one race. “If it’s not intentional, it won’t happen, and if there’s not any consequences then it will continue to happen,” he adds.
Ayaan says black models are readily available for fashion shows and magazine spreads, “I think there’s so many beautiful black models and for us with the agencies we use, it really hasn’t been a problem.”
While more black models are making it to the catwalk, there’s another concern about whether these same models will make it from the fashion shows and onto the pages of fashion magazines.
Earlier this summer there was a great deal of controversy when Essence magazine announced that the publication, long heralded, as the premiere publication for black women would have a white beauty director.
As a result at the start of fashion week a group of twenty-something young black woman held a demonstrationoutside the magazine’s office to protest the fact that there are no black fashion directors at Essence or any other popular beauty or lifestyle magazines.
The group cited as one of their motivators writer, and cultural critic, Michaela Angela Davis, who strongly opposed the Essence’s move. Davis a former Essence staffer wrote of her pride on her Twitter account the day of the march, “These young women are paying homage to the women who opened the door for them and reminding this generation not to close it. They look amazing.”
Jones, who for a decade was the fashion editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, says despite the magazine’s contention that it doesn’t in any way lessen ability to be a quality publication; it’s an issue of perception. “It makes no sense that of all the gifted black fashion writers and editors, black women in particular, and I could rattle off a bunch of them on one hand, that they could not hire a black woman for that fashion director.”
He also says that because a fashion director helps decide what designers are highlighted, what models are used, what photographers are used, and help make other major decisions blacks in those positions are necessary.
Jones’ years covering fashion alongside some of the best gave him an up close look at the work of many fashion journalists. He cites The Houston Chronicle’s Joy Sewing, the Philadelphia Enquirer’s Elizabeth Wellington, and the St. Louis Post Dispatch’s Debra Bass, and Karyn Collins formerly of the Asbury Park Press of veteran fashion journalists who would have been well suited for the Essence position.
The Mohallim sisters say those who want to see more opportunities for black models and designers have to show the industry that diversity matters.
“Consumers can demand the Council of Fashion Designers in America (CFDA) become more accountable and step up its efforts to bring diversity to the industry,” Ayaan Mohallim says.
For his part Jones says that he also thinks the celebrities who often attend fashion week shows can take a stand. “Some of these celebrities who sit in the front row of shows can not support designers who don’t use models of color.”
He also applauds those celebrities who have become involved with fashion from a creative or ownership perspective knowing. He says those who’ve been successful with creating lines and showcasing diverse talent are helping change the fashion industry for the better.
“When it comes to marketing, magazine placement, all these other things that affect your bottom line some designers feel they have to compromise, and some won’t compromise,” he says.
For the Mohallim sisters there is no compromising. The sisters’ hard work is paying off here in the states and abroad where they also have an audience. In the near future they’ll conduct a four-nation tour in Africa showcasing their latest work.
