Representation, or more importantly the lack of, in mainstream fashion weeks is an extremely important and relevant topic. It surprises me how, in this day and age, we still have the same single body type walking catwalks, primarily white, slim, young models, to represent every single body type. You need a range of models with different heights, sizes, ethnicities, and abilities to represent the people, so why are brands still doing it so wrong?
It quickly came to my attention how wrong Comme des Garçons have done it recently. In their Men’s A/W 2020 show for Paris Fashion Week, the brand has seemed to have taken a complete step back in inclusivity, putting white models in cornrow wigs. There were also black models in the show, some of whom wore the wigs, while others kept their own hair.
If you looked up a picture definition of cultural appropriation, I think the photos from this show would come up. The hairstylist, Julian d’Ys, said he had been inspired by an "Egyptian prince" look, and had not intended to hurt or offend anyone. However, it shocks me the fact that this catwalk and the look would have had to have been approved by so many people, and not one person second guessed it and saw it as a problem. Because, guess what? It's a major problem!! It comes down to the fact that people have not been educated and have a certain lack of awareness of how and why it has been executed so awfully. Do not put a white model in a hairstyle that is black cultural related.
It is not the first time the brand has been caught under fire when it comes to inclusivity and diversity. In 2018, Comme Des Garçon cast their first black models in over 20 years, when people had noticed they hadn’t featured a black model since 1994. Why? I honestly think there isn’t a valid explanation for why it has taken them 20 years to cast a black model, and only seem to do so when people begin to talk about it.
The lack of diversity is unacceptable, not just for Comme des Garçons, but for every single other brand out there. Designers and brand executives have the power to choose how diverse their model castings will be, with no regard for racial quotas enforced in other employment. This creative control leads to consequences that truly affect people, leading to lower income for non-white models, who on average, are cast less often than their white model competitors. Just why?? Honestly this whole topic gets me so frustrated because it just isn’t fair, and it is just racist. Racial discrimination extends into the area of “lookism,” where in the fashion industry, an “appeal to aesthetics” exists. This means designers can choose to show mostly white, thin models and claim that as the “look” they were going for in their collection. In this day and age, this really shouldn’t be an attitude that keeps going forth. I think it should be abandoned, and people of colour, plus-sized, older, and disabled models should be cast for mainstream fashion weeks, because these are the people that make up our society and should be represented.
Luckily, more and more younger designers are taking the issue of representation seriously. New York seems to be doing it best, having the most racially diverse catwalks of all the mainstream fashion weeks. After examining 94 major New York shows and tallying 2,601 runway appearances, The Fashion Spot found that 63.1% of castings were white and 36.9% were non-white. I just find it mind-blowing that this is the best statistic we’ve had yet in the fashion world. 36.9%? It obviously needs to be applauded that there seems to be an improvement in diversity, but I think it should become a much more equal statistic in years to come.
"Repetition is key - when we see something over and over again, we normalise it.” says Fashion commentator and campaigner, Caryn Franklin. It shouldn’t be a shock when we see a black model on the catwalk, with someone who is plus size, as well as someone who is over the age of 30. This should become the norm in fashion shows, displaying a brand’s clothing whilst having a racially diverse casting, with models of different sizes, heights, and abilities.
Let’s hope Comme des Garçons educate themselves, as well as other brands using a more diverse casting in years to come. It’s about time.
Well said, it is about time.
If you're in need of a more diverse Model in the future I'm always available. I could definatly tick the 'Plus Size' & 'Older' boxes for you 😆😉👍 XX