Italian Vogue Does All Black Issue

[Number23]

From the NY Times:

(snip)

"Conspicuous by Their Presence"

"RACIAL prejudice in the fashion industry has long persisted because of tokenism and lookism. “We already have our black girl,” says a designer to a fashion-show casting agent, declining to see others. Or: “She doesn’t have the right look.” Laziness, paranoia and pedantry may also have something to do with the failure to hire black models for shows and magazine features in any meaningful number, but, hey, that’s just a guess.

...What would finally move American designers to include more black models on their runways? That 30 percent of the country is nonwhite? That black women spend $20 billion a year on clothes? That an African-American is the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party?"

Oh, is THAT all it took?? Makes sense to me!

Article here - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/fashion/19BLACK.html

Why does it take a "special" issue of Vogue to feature these stunning, gorgeous women? And in ITALY?

[malaise]

1. Even sweeter -Versace Dedicates Fashion Line to Obama

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5j4knyAuzkI9Ils-ZijT-mR6khl6g

<snip>
MILAN, Italy — The latest "first" for Barack Obama comes off the Milan runway.

Calling the U.S. presidential hopeful "the man of the moment," Donatella Versace dedicated her Spring-Summer 2009 collection presented Saturday evening to Obama, creating a style she said was designed for "a relaxed man who doesn't need to flex muscles to show he has power."

Chatting with reporters in the cool of the garden of her private palazzo in downtown Milan at an after-show dinner party, the designer also had some fashion tips for the campaign trail. "I would get rid of the tie and jazz up the shirt," she said.

In fact, there were no ties in Donatella's latest show, and shirts under jackets were either super easy with rolled up sleeves or replaced by a silk T-shirt.

[Ian David]

2. But when does Ben & Jerry give President Obama is own ice cream flavor?

[caledesi]

4. I heard a submission: Yes Pecan! I like itl nt

[Number23]

5. I loved that!

"a relaxed man who doesn't need to flex muscles to show he has power."

Versace has always been on the cutting edge, even if I've found alot of their stuff to be pretty ugly. And personally, I think Barack is a little too, shall we say SLIM to be flexing any muscles anyway! lolol

What he lacks in muscles, I think he makes up for in dapperness. He has a modern elegance that is quite becoming.

[AspenRose]

3. Because Newsweek and Vogue are too busy propping up people like

Cindy McCain as the epitome of "American" beauty, to answer your question. :puke:

Unless they look like Halle Berry or Vanessa Williams, Black American women in the media are just "angry," "nappy headed hos" and "welfare queens."

[Number23]

7. Ummm...

Black American women in the media are just "angry," "nappy headed hos" and "welfare queens."

I'm not saying I disagree with you, but I think you took it a little further than I would have.

I think the media doesn't think about black women at all when it comes to beauty. You can pick up the last 5, hell the last 50 issues of Vogue and you can count on one hand the number of black women you will find, not only on the cover but inside the magazine as well. Even more distressing is the number of Asian or Hispanic women you will find on these covers.

There seems to be the idea in the media and fashion industry that only one look is truly beautiful, and that look is a very young, slim, blue-eyed blonde. Diversity to these people is putting a slightly older blue-eyed blonde on their covers.

Case in point, check out the cover issue of the launch of Vogue India last year:



Indian women are some of the most beautiful women on this planet. But look who they had to put front and center on the cover. Says much more about Vogue than they could ever realize.

[AspenRose]

12. Of course I took it further

I'm a woman of color myself and I know of what I speak from firsthand experience. I don't sugarcoat it.

But yes, we're on the same page. :thumbsup:

[SoCalDem]

6. Those women are more "exotic" than "black"

and I'm betting that they have plenty of "white" blood in them (one definitely has asian)..

Nice try, Vogue...not quite there, though

[Number23]

8. What does that mean?

Those women are more "exotic" than "black"

What are you saying? I don't get it.

Naomi Campbell is black. Liya Kebede is black, hell she's Ethiopian. Jourdan Dunn is black, as is Sessilee Lopez.

The thing is, black women come in all colors. And yes, while I would love to see more beautiful brown women in these magazines, just by putting the four models shown in this post in the magazine, that's at least 2 more black models than I'm used to seeing in a typical Vogue.

[CatWoman]

9. the blonde one is kinda ugly

she looks like one of those aliens in Scary Movie 3 :)

[Number23]

10. Kinda??

Just kinda?? :rofl:

she looks like one of those aliens in Scary Movie 3

[marmar]

11. That's not the all-black issue.....Look above in the OP.

n/t