Teen Vogue’s August 2015 cover is definitely something to be celebrated. Featured on a series of cover’s released last week was not one, but three beautiful Black women, Imaan Hammam (Egyptian-Moroccan), Aya Jones (French-Ivorian), and Lineisy Montero (Dominican). And while mainstream media may not see this as a win, it is absolutely a feat for racial diversity in the fashion industry, who’s lagged behind in achieving equal and accurate representation, from magazine covers to runways.
What’s even more beautiful is each woman’s attitude toward their cover features. In the cover story, written by Teen Vogue’s Health and Beauty Director Elaine Welteroth, Montero, 19, is quoted saying, “Sometimes people call me Middle Eastern, and I’m like, ‘No, I’m black.’ I am proud of my culture, proud of who made me, proud to be here.” The very acknowledgement of “being here” is what is so profound, provoking a historical reflection on the acceptance of Black beauty, from the runway to the showroom to the cover of some of the world’s biggest fashion publications.
But why are we praising these magazines rather than continuing to press for consistent equality in the industry? In 2013, supermodels Iman and Naomi Campbell expressed their concern that the lack of diversity in the fashion industry has in reality gotten worse and is a sign of a deeper issue… racism. “The absence of people of color on the runways and photography reinforces to our young girls that they’re not beautiful enough, that they’re not acceptable enough,” Iman told CNN. “The diversity that we live in, the world that we live in, is not what is shown on the runway. That to me is the concern. It’s a bigger issue at large than just about runway and models.”
“When I started modeling in ’86 there was Asians, blacks, whites, Indians, Chinese. It was very diverse,” Campbell told CNN. “It’s not like that today. It’s heart-breaking to me that we’re in 2013 and we’re sitting here talking about this. But it has to be done and people need to know.”
The statement proves to be true today. Out of the 482 models who walked Paris Couture Fashion Week earlier this month, only 17 were Black — evidence that we still have a long way to go! Yes! These covers are beautiful and they represent. But what we should be asking is how can we strive for consistency? How can we ensure that these beautiful young models are represented far beyond this cover? How do we dismantle the actions of an industry that is hell bent on oppressing Blackness into mainstream ideals of beauty?
