W Magazine Ditches Blackface For All Black Models and Sends Message

March 13th, 2012 - By madamenoire

By Angela Thomas

Following in the footsteps of US and Italian Vogue, W Magazine has released an all-black editorial in their March issue on newsstands now. The 8-page spread entitled “Feminine Mystique” features of-the-moment models Jourdan Dunn, Anais Mali, and Jasmine Tookes showing off the latest looks for spring in bold prints and funky statement jewelry.

It is refreshing to see such a tasteful spread featuring models of color in the wake of recent scandals in fashion including the Vogue Italia “Haute Mess” editorial in which (mostly) white models wore heavy makeup, long, brightly colored nails, and exaggerated hairdos that have been linked to black women. Their attempt to “poke fun” at a culture they did not understand was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, but ended up being insulting to some.

In 2009, then editor-in-chief of French Vogue, Carine Roitfeld, caused quite a stir when Dutch supermodel Lara Stone was photographed in blackface for the magazine. With the wide range of talented models of color who are currently working in fashion, one wonders why a black model wasn’t chosen instead of using a white woman painted black?

The controversy continued recently when the March issue of FHM Phillipines was released with fair-skinned actress Bela Padilla on the cover surrounded by dark-skinned models. The tag-line read, “Stepping out of the Shadows,” igniting such an uproar that the issue was eventually pulled from the stands.

The list of fashion faux pas keeps growing when it comes to blacks being represented by the mainstream media, which leads one to wonder, will they ever get it right? A lack of diversity in the editorial offices of these major magazines could explain why the same issues keep recurring. Which is why during these controversial times, the “Feminine Mystique” editorial is so tastefully refreshing. There are no gimmicks and no stereotypes. Just three black women doing what they do best: posing for the camera and looking beautiful.

All photos courtesy by Emma Summerton, courtesy of W Magazine.

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Kena1908

stunning!
Rio

The majority of the Brazilian models making it big are of German, and Italian heritage most of the models from Brazil are white. The industry is run by gay white males and older white women.
anonymité

These girls look FIERCE Jourdan just has IT the girl can take picture and WALK the runway like Naomie campbell. My black is beautiful no wonder they’re always trying to break us down with statitics to kill our spirits they forget our spirit is rooted deep from the motherland
Battambelly

W mag shows the world that they are a cut above Vogue, FHM and the like. It’s about fashion and not about belittling others with poisonous tactless messages! I applaud them and I will be looking forward to purchasing that issue. Let’s hope they can keep the standard high.
Guest38431

Looking at these women make it perfectly clear why the fashion industry hates on black women. Because they’re jealous. Period. None of the other ladies in the controversial photos can hold a candle to black beauty. We make them look like wet dogs. End of story. They can hate all they want, but they can’t stop black women from being FIERCE!!!!!! They can’t touch our hotness, and it eats them up inside. That’s the reason for all the racism. Pure envy. Period. End of Story. Rock on, black ladies. Let the haters hate.
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http://twitter.com/AdrienneInLove Age

These models are Gorgeous, What a way to make amends! We are touchy, but we’re also right, and certain things shouldn’t be subject to humor. What next, a holocaust issue? They only do it to us because we have no economical power, and they can get away with it.
L-Boogie

I love it when Black women look gorgeous! It is uplifting. Get it, WOMEN!
Tishy_tish

You all need to stop referring to all black women as African American. AA is not a race!!
- Sassy
  
  God bless you. Couldn’t have echoed that any louder . . . Mtscheww . . . lumping all black women into one, makes some of us feel marginalized.
- ariesdollface
  
  i rarely do this mostly b/c 1) i’m too lazy to utter/type so many syllables–black is easier than AA but really b/c 2) i’m aware of the difference. most of us mean no offense, it’s just the oversights of provincialism. keep up the gentle reminders…most of us will listen
J A SASSY aka salon22w

black women are fierce period.. they should have been way ahead of the non black women .. skinny selfs..bland selfs.
- Monitorette
  
  Anais Mali is a French citizen , born to a Polish mother and a Tchadian father.
  And in France, LIKE EVERYWHERE SAVE THE USA, a person born to a Black parent and a White parent IS CONSIDERED MESTISO and not Black
  
  All those 3 women are very beautiful, with make up or without
  - Rodriguez
    
    MESTISO is a SPANISH word and has nothing to do with Africa or France so sit down and be quiet. In France as EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD ANAIS MALI IS BLACK, CALLS HERSELF BLACK AND LOOKS AFRICAN. YOU ARE PLAINLY DOMINICAN OF THE SAMMY SOSA VARIETY. I SEE BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOMEN IN THE PHOTOS.
    - Monitorette
      
      yes, mestiso is a Spanish word that is used in the English language for a long time now.
      I’m living in France so I know what I am talking aboutETHNICALLY SPEAKING, ANAIS MALI IS A MESTISO / MIXED RACE
    - Monitorette
      
      yes, mestiso is a Spanish word that is used in the English language for a long time now.
      I’m living in France so I know what I am talking aboutETHNICALLY SPEAKING, ANAIS MALI IS A MESTISO / MIXED RACE
      - RODRIGUEZ
        
        No you are not living in France you are living in Queens NYC and you know nothing about France or African or what they call themselves over there. Like I said she is a black woman in Europe, America and all over the world you idiot. And no English or French speaking person uses that word to decribe an African with European ancestry. A MESTISO was coined by White Spanish people to indicate a person of mixed Spanish/Native Indian blood. Just one further way to distance the mixed race Hispanic from the Spanish European!
        
        Monitorette
        
        I’m a FRench citizen, living in France, English is a language I learned in school and to describe a person with a Black parent and a White parent, our English teachers indicated us that MESTISO or/and MIXED PEOPLE were right match.
        
        AND IN FRENCH WE SAY ‘Métisse’
        
        so stop your non sense like I am a Black person living in Queens. Internet is global and reading in this kind of web sites is a way to improve my knowledge in English
        
        I know about the origin of the word Mestiso, but this word existed before 1492 in Spanish, as the equivalent terms existed before 1492 in other languages
        
        RODRIGUEZ
        
        Nope! You are a delusional PuertoRican/Dominican dark skinned living in New York who thinks she is white and Spanish. I have come across idiots like you all of my like as well as seeing you on Blacks In Latin America. In France the just say black regardless of the parentage of that Black person and usually the black person of more than one race says it to. The term MESTISO was coined by the Spanish to call mixed race slaves MULES. The term MULATTO was first coined by ARABS and basically means the same thing. It was a way to dehumanize their human property of Puerto Rico to let them know right off the bat that they were animals regardless of any white bllod in their veins and still slaves. MESTiSO is Spanish and used by them alone. METIS is French and used to describe people of French and Aborginal descent. And this Black French woman has nothing to do with you Puerto Ricans and your delusions.
        
        Monitorette
        
        I won’t argue with you regarding who I am and where I live . USELESS. What imports me is that the Madame Noire editors know I am telling the truth because I guess that they can see somehow where are located the persons who are responding to their article.
        AGAIN, in France, when it is knowed that a person is mixed race, we say Métisse
        
        You are the idiot person, you are the person wearing eye baths that does not want to acknowledge that the African American hardly accepts that a person having a Black parent and a parent from another race can be seen / has the right to consider themself as Non Black or Black+ the other race and not just only Black, because ethnically it is wrong
        
        Anais Mali is ethnically a mixed-race girl, so when someone says that she is looking fierce because she is Black, that’s wrong , because Anais face mirrors her White heritage.
        
        But like I said in my first post, those 3 models are very beautiful, and I will add that it is a clever casting by the magazine W.
        
        RODRIGUEZ
        
        She is looking fierce because she is black and she does not look white Paris Hilton looks white you moron. The French say Metis for French and Native Indian not for African people they never have and they never will that is strictly a Spanish slave era invention. And having a parent on a different race does not make you non-black especially if you are a black phenotype. Idealize all you want it won’t change a thing Ms. New York. And African Americans have nothing to do with it this is more so a world wide point-of-view but you are hung up on what they say. Again in FRANCE a METIS is a person of French and Aboriginal heritage only.
        
        RODRIGUEZ
        
        Nope, a Metis is of French and Aboriginal heritage always has been and always will be Ms. Queens New York. Being African American has nothing to do with it they don’t determine who someone is just by saying it. French people don’t use the word Metis unless they are referring to a blend of French (European) and Aboriginal.
        
        Monitorette
        
        this is will be my last reply to you regarding the word Métis(se): this word can be used to describe a person whose parents belong to 2 different races: for instance father Japanese / mother Italian or father Japanese / Mother Congolese
        And it French it goes like this:Je vais également te l’écrire en français pour fermer ton clapet: le mot métis(se) est utilisé pour décrire une personne dont les parents sont de 2 races différentes, quelles que soient les races
        
        Does it sound like Queens Ny?
        Es-ce que ça sonne Quenns – NY?
      - RODRIGUEZ
        
        No you are not living in France you are living in Queens NYC and you know nothing about France or African or what they call themselves over there. Like I said she is a black woman in Europe, America and all over the world you idiot. And no English or French speaking person uses that word to decribe an African with European ancestry. A MESTISO was coined by White Spanish people to indicate a person of mixed Spanish/Native Indian blood. Just one further way to distance the mixed race Hispanic from the Spanish European!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JAI4SRENU2A5WKRTELXXYJPDSI Kayla

it’s behind us now. but those sisters are FIERCEEEEEEEEEE!
- ariesdollface
  
  i wish i could “like” this comment 10 more times!

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