Are the tides turning in favor of African/Black models after years of being shunned on the runway and in fashion campaigns?
Looks that way to us, if we are to believe the moves made by L’Oreal Paris, Louis Vuitton and a handful of fashion magazines who have featured Black models in their pages.
PHOTOS: Liya Kebede Lands L’Oreal
Sure, we can count Naomi Campbell as the one consistent Black model who’s landed covers and campaigns, but besides the tempermental beauty, who else have we seen flaunt her looks? Naomi’s been working for a quarter of a century and has pull. The new girls? Not so much.
Asian models have seen an upswing in work thanks to China’s ever growing market and the rise of India’s middle class. Models like Liu Wen and Shu Pei command hefty figures on and off the runway, but they are not Black. Following in the footsteps of Italian Vogue’s Franca Sozzani, a NYC based fashion magazine dedicated an entire issue in praise of Asian models.
PHOTOS: V Magazine’s Asians On Top
Fashion’s biggest surprise, so far this year, came in the form of a 16-year-old model by the name of Nyasha Matonhodze (above) from Zimbabwe. Last week coveted fashion house Louis Vuitton announced that the now UK-based model will star as ambassador of LV’s 2011 Fall Campaign. Over the Memorial Day weekend, L’Oreal Paris announced that Ethiopian model and actress Liya Kebede will become its new ambassador, joining Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Nigerian model Oluchi as a new spokeswoman. Somalian-Canadian model Yasmin Warasame joined L’Oreal Paris Code last fall and Nigerian model and Miss World winner Agbani Darego was also featured in earlier campaigns. Bravo L’Oreal!
L’Oreal has been consistent in hiring women of color to represent them. We cannot count Beyonce, Kerry Washington and Jennifer Lopez on the same hand as other models though. Why? Because they are not models, they’re entertainers. Distinction, we think, is important. And therein lies the part of the problem: celebrities replacing models as spokespersons for brands. Blame Anna Wintour.
After the break, take a look at what could be the beginning of a revitalization for Black models and some of L’Oreal’s past and present faces, as well as Asian models who are killing the game right now.
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16-year-old Nyasha Matonhodze is the new face of Louis Vuitton’s 2011 Fall/Winter Campaign. Above, she is photographed by Steven Meisel.
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16-year-old Nyasha Matonhodze is the new face of Louis Vuitton’s 2011 Fall/Winter Campaign. Above, in Teen Vogue.
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New L’Oreal Paris spokeswoman Liya Kebede.
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Miss World Winner and L’Oreal Paris spokeswoman Agbani Darego.
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Yasmin Warasame for L’Oreal Paris.
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Kerry Washington for L’Oreal Paris.
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Liu Wen.
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Shu Pei in V magazine.
