Iconic black models Bethann Hardison, Iman, and Naomi Campbell appeared on “Good Morning America” to bring awareness to the lack of diversity on the runways. They appeared on behalf of The Diversity Coalition, an organization formed by Hardison of which both Iman and Campbell are members.
This is a follow-up to the letter that the coalition sent out last week in advance of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. It read, in part:
Eyes are on an industry that season after season watches design houses consistently use one or no models of color. No matter the intention, the result is racism. Not accepting another based on the color of their skin is clearly beyond ‘aesthetic’ when it is consistent with the designer’s brand. Whether it’s the decision of the designer, stylist or casting director, that decision to use basically all white models, reveals a trait that is unbecoming to modern society. It can no longer be accepted, nor confused by the use of the Asian model.
The letter went on to name specific fashion houses that were guilty of this crime, including Chanel, Donna Karan, Versace, Prada, BCBG, and Louis Vuitton. “This way there’s no hiding,” Hardison told The Huffington Post. “If you say who, then nobody can say, ‘This has nothing to do with me.’”
It is important to focus on Hardison’s breakdown of “the aesthetic” and “artistic vision” as problematic excuses. It is easy to hide behind the guise of art as an excuse for racist or exclusionary behavior. It simply reinforces the idea that whiteness is the standard for artistic vision and beauty. With that premise, black people simply cannot be imagined into a fashionable aesthetic. That excuse can no longer be allowed to pass. Especially given that many of the fashion houses that were listed are profiting off of the same community that they can’t envision on the runways.
In the GMA interview, Iman said that she feels the scope of diversity is worse than in the 1970s. At first thought, it seems impossible, but statistics are on her side. Jezebel has an extensive breakdown of the devolution of diversity in fashion.
“There is a time where silence is not acceptable at all,” Iman told GMA. “And if the conversation cannot be had publicly in our industry — then inherently there is something wrong with the industry.”
