A: In the White House.
Posted on 09/13/2013 6:20:08 PM PDT by Altura Ct.
I didn’t attend Fashion Week in New York this season. And by all accounts, I certainly made the right decision. A disturbing trend that began on the runway a few years back is continuing—a trend of exclusion that is glaringly insulting and simply unacceptable to me.
I’ll never forget Fashion Week in 2010, when a major designer (whom I won’t name) invited me to his fall fashion collection. He messengered over a personal design for me to wear to the show, along with a note complimenting me for all my pioneering work in the industry.
In 1974, I became the first African-American model to appear on the cover of Vogue magazine. I continued to break down racial barriers by becoming the first black model to appear on an international cover of Elle magazine. More major fashion publications followed.
Appreciative of his comments and consideration, I accepted the designer’s invite and proudly took my front-row seat among other celebrities and fashion-industry notables. I sat there as endless numbers of gorgeous garments sashayed down the runway, draped over endless numbers of gorgeous bodies. I loved the detail and the glamour of it all, but as the show neared its end, I realized one unsettling omission: not one black model had strolled down the catwalk. By the time every girl came back onstage—marking the close of the show—my mouth was completely agape. Had this fashion designer actually complimented me on my role in changing the color of fashion and then invited me to a show with absolutely no black models in it at all? He most certainly had, and he clearly saw no problem with it. As reporters approached me after the show to ask my view of the designs, I waved them away, as I’d forgotten every outfit that crossed my sight that afternoon. Now all I could see was red. And it wasn’t a stunning red dress.
Black women are, with excruciatingly rare exceptions, unattractive. Nobody wants them on the runway, not even black men.
Where’s Sharpton and Jackson on this???
Oh my God! Quick fire 60% of the White models, 20% of the Asian models, 15% of the Hispanic models and give those jobs to Blacks right now! Calling Eric Holder, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton you are need in the racial outrage room immediately.
From a glance at the pic and the Black/Gold Collection motif it is glaringly obvious on the model choice. It is a FASHION show. Not a model show.
A: In the White House.
where are all the white basketball players?
Are the job applications in cursive? That might be the problem right there.
“That’s racist!”
still in high school
One of the first requirements of modeling is learning how to keep your knees together. That might explain it.
I don’t see what the problem is. They’re all in ads for McDonald’s.
Magazine covers are one thing. Runways are another. On runways, all designers care about are having human hangers to display their (usually ridiculous) “fashions.” There isn’t an iota of racism about it; designers want androgenous stick figures to display their wares. In Western cultures, black women are rarely stick figures. This is not to call them “fat” — it’s a low percentage of white women who make the designer’s cut, too. But by and large (no pun intended) it will be white girls who have the pubescent boy look that designers want to see on the runway.
And yes, gayness has a lot to do with it.
Not only is your remark racist, it’s also untrue. I have seen and known many very attractive black women in my lifetime.
“That’s racist!”
I understand that you are being humorous. To those who would accuse me of racism and mean it, I would say that I can like what I like without their permission.
Where are all the White people on daytime TV?
I can often flip through maybe a dozen channels I get off the air and not see a single White person. Most of the times tho there are a few. Even those times there will be more Blacks and usually be a good margin.
Why aren’t whites complaining about how few white players are in the NFL?
Whoops! I meant to direct my remarks too dec.......sorry ‘bout that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.