Over the past three major fashion weeks, brands have presented collections centered around braided patterns, gold body jewelry and “traditional textures.” However, the cast sheet told a different story. One London show, inspired by West African ceremonial dress, featured 28 looks, but only two visibly black models.
Aesthetics can be conveyed faster than people.
I see it every season. Durags have been rebranded as “head scarves.” Bamboo earrings sold for nostalgia. Cornrows were renamed after European villages. The industry claims this is an homage. But homage without hiring is an extraction.
Amaka Okafor, a model and creative consultant, said, “They’re not looking for black accountability, they’re looking for black affinity. If you can exclude us and that idea still works, then you haven’t represented us.”
Consumers are responding. Campaigns with real casting are considered Fenty or Telfar level of authenticity and consistently outperform thematic collections built around borrowed imagery. People recognize the difference between collaboration and costume.
Fashion doesn’t need a new diversity committee. That requires creative directors, casting directors, and stylists whose careers are not seasonal appointments.
Because expression is not just a moment on the runway. It’s about who gets paid before and after the show.
The post Luxury Loves Our Aesthetics Not Our Bodies appeared first on Pride Magazine.
Source: Pride Magazine – www.pridemagazine.com
