Harmony or Hegemony?

Last year I was one of the many people to receive texts and facebook messages urging me to purchase the Italian vogue special edition, in which only Women of colour (WOC) models were used. For many, this was badged as a fantastic shift in the right direction and signalled a turning point in the overrepresentation of whiteness in the fashion industry. However for me, it left a nasty taste in my mouth, one that was further intensified by Naomi Campbell’s recent comments surrounding the lack of non-white women being utilised to promote the products of major companies. “This year, we have gone back all the way that we had advanced,” she says. “I don’t see any black woman, or of any other race, in big advertising campaigns.”

For me this particular issue was more restrictive than inclusive and worked to promote and highlight the difference of the models. What I interpreted Vogue as saying was, " we realise there is a problem of representation within the industry, and to rectify this, we will give you your own issue, where your variation will be marketed and used as a wealth generator for us." For me this was a far step away from equal opportunities within the industry, as the presence of this publication sought only to covertly promote segregation. This "black issue" tells us a great deal about race and ethnicity in the media today, showing that to be non-white is to be constantly relegated to a "special issue", while the regular edition remains quintessentially white. My main argument is less about the drought of non-white faces in the fashion industry, than the frequent image of "whiteness" being presented as universally relevant, even within the realm of women's interests. The positioning of this issue demonstrates its contradictions; on the one hand, it can be viewed as a revelation, ultimate proof of having overcome racism within the fashion industry. Whilst on the other, the models, by participating, have indirectly reinforced their own non-whiteness in a bid to reassure the readers of the publications "post-racial" inclusiveness. Yet it would be wrong and irresponsible of me to present such a one-sided argument and fail to see the benefits of such a publication. Apart from assisting the careers of the models involved, it also pushes rhetoric of this nature to the forefront of public consciousness. However one can safely say, there is a definitive need for more than inclusion if we are to attain equality. As WOC, it is imperative that we compete to make our presence accepted and demand equal and respectful representation in all facets of the media. This is more than re-affirming the aesthetics of WOC, this is about demanding that we be treated justly in all social spheres and not accepting the age old perpetuation of otherness that have been attributed to us throughout the years.