It's a mistake to think that fashion is going to play a significant role in social change. It's absurd to think it will bring about any greater degree of social justice. Nor should it. Fashion is descended from a combination of the greco-roman cult of beauty, which worships physical attractiveness for its own sake (this is not a positive value, it's the antithesis of egalitarianism) and the need for the elite to self-identify in a crowd (contemporary urban social life).
This same idea of black beauty some how liberating society from prejudice has been revamped repeatedly. Not to denigrate trailblazers and pioneers who fought hard, but a model is essentially a prop and the only social values inherent in them are what you project upon them. This is why fashion can't change society, it can only work with what is already there in the eyes of the audience.
A separate issue but relevant to explain the irrational expectations of a fashion industry transforming the world, is the idea in the minds of many young african americans that a black america has yet to be born. That they are under-represented. They gain media attention in sports, entertainment, politics and the arts, where they have achieved wonders. Yet they are only 12% of America's population.
The cult of beauty calls upon it's audience to discriminate. It's as elitist as possible. Is a racially integrated elitism the goal? I hope not. Beautiful black women might want to pursue a science career to change the world.
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Everything you need to know about fashion Thoreau said in 1854:
"The head monkey at Paris puts on a traveler’s cap, and all the monkeys in America do the same....this taste for new patterns...is childish and savage...
The manufacturers have learned that this taste is merely whimsical. Of two patterns which differ only by a few threads more or less of a particular colour, the one will be sold readily, the other lie on the shelf, though it frequently happens that after the lapse of a season the latter becomes the most fashionable...the principal object of the factory system is not that mankind may be well and honestly clad but, unquestionably, that the corporations may be enriched."
re: ST and Hazlit: Both reasons are valid. People of color (funny how white people are considered not to have a color or an ethnicity) can definitely use role models; but corporate America and Madison Avenue are also realizing that there are enough nonwhite people out there, with enough money, to make a real difference in their bottom lines. And they are not "exotic" or "flavor-of-the-month" customers: they will be around for a long time, buying your products --- or not.
I don't understand all this talk about a "look", the "it" type, inclusion.
I just think very dark skin and a sculptural face creates a fantastic contrast to the clothes! They compliment each other in a way that white skin does not. These are powerful dramatic women, and they make the clothes that much more powerful.
Designers - you should have cast women like this a long, long time ago.
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As a US-born black woman raised in the Caribbean, it's been wonderful to see more dark-skinned women in fashion. Like many industries, when the taste makers swing the aesthetic pendulum in one direction, there's a flood of others copying the trend. And then, after a while, the trend disappears and another "it" type becomes fashionable. Instead of this recurring fickleness, isn't it about time for fashion to be truly inclusive and more accurately reflect the world's incredible diversity by showcasing ALL ages, skin colors, ethnic/cultural backgrounds and body types of women and men? Age discrimination in fashion is real and diversity matter!
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ST's comment made me think. I'm not sure about the demographics of high-end fashion purchasing, but as white cisgender man I was struck by the line "people will identify with people that look like they do a buy accordingly." One mantra among various minority groups has always that more people like them are needed for the purposes of identification and role-modelling. In this sense both identity politics and capitalism agree that more minorities than the market demands is ridiculous. If Ms. Miles doesn't want people of colour to be exoticized or embraced as a flavour of the month then it would seem that de-emphasing identity politics and critiquing capitalism would be the way to go.
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Isnt it all about what sells just like any other business. And people will identify with people that look like they do and buy accordingly. Corporate America and Madison avenue are ruthless mercenaries, they do not care about equality and diversity for its own sake unless it makes the cash register ring. They would paint people pink and dip them in sparkles if it sold. And maybe they are on to something here, maybe people of color have an increasing disposable income and will be targeted by advertisers more. You only need look at luxury car ads to see that trend. And believe me they will be very careful to track and target exactly how many people of color like what types of haute couture and plan accordingly. Or it might be a fad or limited to certain markets. Would be interesting to see how advertisers target middle eastern and Asian clients, probably not a lot of layouts there demanding people of color in print. So if you look at this as a business decision pure and simple, fine but dont get too carried away that all of a sudden corporate America and Madison avenue have been morally shamed and are waking to the dawn of a new multicultural world.
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It's a joy to see these beautiful, dark skinned models. I think what you suggest ST was the norm not too long ago but with the "Me Too" movement and overall effort to diversify and be inclusive, it behooves Madison Avenue and all the rest of the ruthless mercenaries to care about equality and diversity. This attitude that "people will identify with people that look like they do" is what has fostered inequality and bigotry all these many years. It behooves everyone to get away from this mentality that white is right and if you're black get back. Society is never returning to the days of old where bigotry, racism, sexism and anti-immigrant sentiment was the norm. Those days are finished.