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The Ugly Side of Fashion: How the Industry Harms People of Color
The Ugly Side of Fashion:
How the Industry Harms People of Color
Grace Horne / Political Science 2023
In December 2018, luxury fashion brand Prada released a collection of “fantasy charms” that critics say were inspired by blackface.[1][2] The products, which Prada claimed were “imaginary creatures,” resemble black monkeys with bright red lips—seemingly a callback to nineteenth-century minstrel shows.[3][4]
Following immediate social media backlash, most notably from civil rights lawyer Chinyere Ezie, the company apologized: “#Prada Group abhors racist imagery.”[5][6] However, their tweet does not make up for their racism, at least not in the eyes of the law. In February 2020, the New York City Commission on Human Rights settled with Prada, requiring the company to “invest in restorative justice efforts to combat anti-Black racism and promote diversity and inclusion in Prada’s business activities, advertising, and products.”[7]
This “fantasy charm” collection and its repercussions are one of the more visible, and thus memorable, instances of racism in the fashion industry. But racism isn’t always identifiable in a storefront. People are discriminated against— again and again—behind the scenes. apologized to staffers and took full responsibility for personal and company-wide failings to fight racial discrimination.[8] She has headed the magazine since 1988 and is a powerful industry figure, even inspiring Meryl Streep’s performance as the domineering head of a fashion magazine in The Devil Wears Prada. [9]
Despite her power, Wintour has done little to diversify the fashion industry. Former Vogue Editor-at-Large André Leon Talley made an even stronger statement, asserting that he does not think “she will ever let anything get in the way of her White privilege.”[10]
Beverly Johnson, the first Black woman cism of Wintour's apology: “Wow—after three decades, fashion’s leading arbiter has finally acknowledged that there may be a problem!”[11] Two years ago—126 years after Vogue’s first issue and thirty years into Wintour’s tenure—Tyler Mitchell became the first Black photographer shot the cover since.
Even Wintour’s assistants are predominantly privileged White women with Ivy League degrees.[13] Their credentials are outshined only by those of their families. The list includes the daughter of an Oscar-winning screenwriter and the great-great-granddaughter of the chairman of a large bank.
negligent, do not end with Vogue or Prada.
These problems, whether intentional or They exist everywhere in the industry. Racism results not just from the
conscious decisions of
editors and designers, but also from the industry's framework. Fashion tries to sell consumers the ideas of wealth, beauty, and luxury—hence the desire
to own recognizable clothing and accessories like a Supreme sweatshirt or a Gucci belt. [14] But in a country where the average White
to appear on Vogue’s cover, added to the critifamily owns ten times the wealth of the average Black family, these ideas cannot stand on their own.[15] They become euphemisms for “White.”
People first awarded the title of “Sexiest Man Alive” to Mel Gibson in 1985 and has given the
title to thirty-one different men since.[16] Only
In June, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour for a Vogue cover.[12] No Black photographer has
four of these men have been people of color.
Zendaya, the second Black woman to win an Emmy Award, admits that even when a Black woman is given a platform, it is likely that she still conforms to Eurocentric ideals of beauty with paler skin and looser curls.[17][18] “I am Hollywood’s . . . acceptable version of a Black
girl,” she remarked, “and that has to change.”
Systemic racism was not created by fashion companies, but when they feature White models and designers to sell “Whiteness,” they reinforce racism.
Even when designers steal from or copy Black people, it is White people who sell and purchase these products. It was bad enough that Gucci blatantly stole the work of Black designer Dapper Dan for its 2018 Cruise collection, acknowledging him only in an Instagram post.[19][20] But Dapper Dan’s work wasn’t respected in the 1980s and 1990s either.[21]
“He approached designers to collaborate with him, but they told him it wasn’t chic enough,” said Olympic track star Diana Dixon, whose Dapper Dan custom mink jacket was copied by Gucci. [22] “They looked down on him and thought logos on clothing were only for minorities, even though he was open to anyone coming to his store.”
Following anger on social media and accusations of cultural appropriation, Gucci ultimately partnered with Dapper Dan, supporting his studio’s reopening and collaborating with him on a capsule collection.[23][24]
While it is great when a Black person’s work is respected and they’re given an opportunity in fashion, it is normally at the peak of their career in another field.[25] In 1984, Nike signed a deal with twenty-one-year-old Michael Jordan, creating the Air Jordan line that has since earned Nike $3.6 billion.[26][27]
In 2019, Rihanna—who on top of being a singer is the creator of Fenty Beauty, Savage x Fenty, and a Puma sportswear Fenty Line— announced a partnership between her brand and luxury conglomerate LVMH.[28] Rihanna is the first woman of color to lead a luxury label at LVMH, also the home of Givenchy and Dior.
Jordan and Rihanna deserve their high-profile positions, but they are still outliers. The average Black person is not given those opportunities, even though White people often are. Black-owned businesses are more than twice as likely to be rejected for loans than Whiteowned ones.[29]
The industry is willing to bet on young White creatives while holding Black creatives to higher standards, all but requiring them to be household names.[30] Given the financial privileges of White people and their likelihood to come from a family already associated with the industry, the hiring system is tilted against young Black designers.
These issues are especially hard to unpack when so many companies try to boast inclusion without actually working toward it.[31]
The founder of Reformation recently left the sustainable clothing company after it was revealed that she supported and created a racist corporate culture.[32] This might seem antithetical to Reformation’s efforts toward transparency in fashion, but it fits in well with the industry.
Bohemian brand Anthropologie posted a since-deleted Maya Angelou poem to Instagram for not mentioning Black Lives Matter or the recent protests, former employees honed in on the brand’s hypocrisy. They described store policies that labelled Black shoppers as “Nicks”—a coded instruction to racially profile a shopper and follow them throughout the store.
With any type of visible progress or diver-
sity—from heartfelt pledges to Instagram posts—look behind the scenes to see the truth.
For example, the number of non-White runway models has increased over the years— from 17 percent for the Spring 2015 season to 41 percent for the Fall 2020 season—but there’s little evidence that this has undone the racism these models face.[34][35]
Anok Yai, one of only two Black models to ever open a Prada show, wrote an essay in O,
The Oprah Magazine after a friend said she is
on June 1.[33] While people criticized the post The effects of this exclusion and discrimination do not end within the magazine pages or on runways. Fashion shapes our perceptions of ourselves and others by determining our concepts of desirability and beauty. If haute couture focuses primarily on White people, Whiteness becomes aspirational. Other cultures are viewed as inferior by default, sometimes even by the people from those cultures.
“Look at the front row during Fashion Week,” influencer Claire Sulmers told The Cut. [37] “There are no Black bloggers there. Like none.” Artist Awol Erizku expressed a similar sentiment in the same series, saying that she
was often the only Black person on set.
It doesn’t have to be this way. There are new initiatives fighting for racial justice in the fashion industry, most of which have formed recently in response to Black Lives Matter protests.[38] While it is too soon to gauge their progress, the motivation of fashion professionals to create them inspires cautious optimism.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America pledged in June to support the Black community and Black artists throughout the industry. [39] The CFDA comprises almost five hundred designers and aims to “strengthen the impact of American fashion in the global economy.”[40] The organization dedicates itself to creating an in-house employment program to form a more diverse industry, organize mentorship and internship programs for Black students and graduates, implement a diversity and inclusion training program, and contribute to organizations fighting for racial justice.[41]
The Kelly Initiative immediately demanded stronger action from the CFDA, beginning with actual metrics to measure industry diversity and company accountability.[42] The initiative, named after Black designer Patrick Kelly, comprises Black designers and other fashion professionals, some of whom are also CFDA members.
Another initiative is the 15 Percent Pledge from Aurora James of fashion company Brother Vellies.[43][44] Its signatories, including Sephora, have agreed to dedicate 15 percent of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses.[45]
Each of these programs might achieve progress on its own, but some organizers worry that less gets accomplished as more groups are formed.[46] To combat this concern, Teen Vogue editor Lindsay Peoples Wagner and public relations consultant Sandrine Charles created the Black in Fashion Council.[47] The organization aims to centralize the fight for racial justice in the fashion industry and hold brands accountable.
Diversifying and improving the fashion industry is important, not just for those within it, but for the rest of us whose lives are shaped by it. As Meryl Streep describes in The Devil Wears Prada, the fashion industry is not separate from ordinary people’s lives—“you’re wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room.”[48] Every piece of clothing we wear is the result of choices made in rooms far, far away from our closets.
Because of the power of those choices, fashion has a role in politics and social change, as demonstrated by Hillary Clinton donning power suits to fit in with male politicians and Nike making an ad campaign with football player and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick.[49][50] Even a t-shirt with "PROTECT TRANS KIDS" emblazoned on the front can have an impact.[51]
When fashion has the power to spark dialogues and ignite change, when it pushes society to fight for a cause, the industry’s disappointing reluctance to change is, in and of itself, an act of racism. The fashion industry needs to improve its response, not just for the good of companies and their millions of workers, but for us—the people who wear their clothes every day.
[1] Murray, Rheana. “Prada Vows to 'Do Better' after Backlash over 'Racist' Key Chains and Figurines.” USA Today. NBC Universal News Group, December 17, 2018. [2] Hirsch, Afua. Twitter Post. December 14, 2018, 11:19 a.m. [3] Prada. Twitter Post. December 14, 2018, 11:25 a.m. [4] Clark, Alexis. “How the History of Blackface Is Rooted in Racism.” History. A&E Television Networks, February 15, 2019. [5] Ezie, Chinyere. 2018. “I don’t make a lot of public posts, but right now I’m shaking with anger.” Facebook, December 13, 2020. [6] Prada. Twitter Post. December 14, 2018, 11:25 a.m. [7] “NYC Commission on Human Rights Settles With Prada Over Merchandise Line Containing Racist Imagery in Landmark Case Mandating Comprehensive Programs to Combat Anti-Black Racism.” Nyc.gov. NYC Commission on Human Rights, February 5, 2020. [8] Espinoza, Joshua. “Anna Wintour Admits 'Vogue' Has Failed Black Staffers: 'I Take Full Responsibility for Those Mistakes'.” Complex. Complex, June 10, 2020. [9] Emmanuele, Julia. “The One Thing 'Devil Wears Prada' Got Wrong About Anna Wintour.” Bustle. Bustle, May 21, 2020. [10] Radio Andy. “André Leon Talley on Anna Wintour’s recent apology.” YouTube. YouTube, June 10, 2020. [11] Johnson, Beverly. “I Was the First Black Model on the Cover of Vogue. The Fashion Industry Still Isn't Fixing Its Racism.” The Washington Post. WP Company, June 16, 2020. [12] Street, Mikelle. “The Story behind Tyler Mitchell's Vogue Cover of Beyoncé.” CNN. Cable News Network, August 13, 2018. [13] Denardo, Maria. “Your Ultimate Guide to Anna Wintour's Assistants, Past and Present.” theFashionSpot. Evolve Media, March 4, 2015. [14] Mull, Amanda. “Fashion's Racism and Classism Are Finally Out of Style.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, July 7, 2020. [15] McIntosh, Kriston, Emily Moss, Ryan Nunn, and Jay Shambaugh. “Examining the Black-White Wealth Gap.” Brookings. Brookings, February 27, 2020. [16] Ahlgrim, Callie. “All 31 Guys Who Have Been Named People's Sexiest Man Alive.” Insider. Insider, November 13, 2019. [17] Turchiano, Danielle. “Regina King, Zendaya Emmy Wins Highlight Historic Year for Black Actors.” Variety. Variety, September 20, 2020. [18] Vagianos, Alanna. “Zendaya On Colorism: 'I Am Hollywood's Acceptable Version Of A Black Girl'.” HuffPost. HuffPost, April 23, 2018. [19] Cummings, Faith. “Gucci, Dapper Dan, and How the Fashion Industry Fails Black People.” Teen Vogue. Teen Vogue, June 1, 2017. [20] Gucci. [Post on Cruise Collection and Dapper Dan influence] Instagram, May 31, 2017. November 9, 2020. [21] Peoples, Lindsay. “Speaking With the Woman Who Wore the Infamous Dapper Dan Coat.” The Cut. New York Magazine, May 31, 2017. [22] “Speaking With the Woman Who Wore the Infamous Dapper Dan Coat.” [23] Schneier, Matthew. “Thanks, Internet Outrage! Now Dapper Dan and Gucci Are Buds.” The New York Times. The New York Times, September 10, 2017. [24] “Dapper Dan: a Special Collaboration between the House and the Harlem Designer.” Gucci. Gucci. Accessed November 9, 2020. [25] Mull, Amanda. “Fashion's Racism and Classism Are Finally Out of Style.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, July 7, 2020. [26] Holmes, Sally. “The Story Behind Michael Jordan's Air Jordans.” Marie Claire. Hearst Magazine Media, May 18, 2020. [27] Badenhausen, Kurt. “China And 'The Last Dance' Propel Nike's Jordan Brand To Record $3.6 Billion In Revenue.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, June 26, 2020. [28] Davies, Wilder. “Why Rihanna's New Fenty Brand With LVMH Is Such a Big Deal.” Time. Time, May 10, 2019. [29] Marks, Gene. “Black-Owned Firms Are Twice as Likely to Be Rejected for Loans. Is This Discrimination?” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, January 16, 2020. [30] Mull, Amanda. “Fashion's Racism and Classism Are Finally Out of Style.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, July 7, 2020. [31] Singh, Katherine. “All the Fashion Brands That Have Been Accused of Racism.” FLARE. St. Joseph Communications, June 24, 2020. [32] Whelan, Grace. “Reformation Founder Apologises for Workplace Racism.” Drapers. EMAP Publishing, June 9, 2020. [33] Lampen, Claire. “Anthropologie Accused of Racially Profiling Black Customers.” The Cut. New York Magazine, June 11, 2020. [34] Schimminger, Morgan C. “Report: Racial Diversity Takes a Slight Step Backward, Size and Gender Inclusivity Plummet for Fashion Month Fall 2020.” theFashionSpot. Evolve Media, March 16, 2020. [35] Champlin, Taylor. “Black Models Are Coming Forward Against Racism in Fashion.” PAPER. PAPER, June 11, 2020. [36] Yai, Anok. “Anok Yai on Why Black Models Shouldn't Have to Educate the Fashion Industry.” O, The Oprah Magazine. O, The Oprah Magazine, June 8, 2020. [37] Wagner, Lindsay Peoples. “What It's Really Like to Be Black and Work in Fashion.” The Cut. New York Magazine, August 23, 2018. [38] Tillet, Salamishah, and Vanessa Friedman. “It's Time to End Racism in the Fashion Industry. But How?” The New York Times. The New York Times, June 24, 2020. [39] cdfa. [CDFA’s pledge to support to support Black artists and their communities] Instagram, June 4, 2020. November 9, 2020. [40] “About CFDA.” CFDA. CFDA. Accessed November 9, 2020. [41] cdfa. [CDFA’s pledge to support to support Black artists and their communities] Instagram, June 4, 2020. November 9, 2020. [42] Letter to CFDA. “Honoring the Legacy of Designer, Patrick Kelly via Forging Equitable Inroads for Black Fashion Talent.” Google Drive, June 15, 2020. [43] 15 Percent Pledge. 15 Percent Pledge. Accessed November 9, 2020. [44] Hess, Liam. “Aurora James on Her 15 Percent Pledge Campaign to Support BlackOwned Businesses.” Edited by Rickie De Sole. Vogue. Condé Nast, June 6, 2020. [45] “Who Has Taken The Pledge?” 15 Percent Pledge. 15 Percent Pledge. Accessed November 9, 2020. [46] Tillet, Salamishah, and Vanessa Friedman. “It's Time to End Racism in the Fashion Industry. But How?” The New York Times. The New York Times, June 24, 2020. [47] “About Us.” Black In Fashion Council. Black In Fashion Council. Accessed November 9, 2020. [48] Movieclips. “The Devil Wears Prada (3/5) Movie CLIP - Stuff (2006) HD.” YouTube. YouTube, June 18, 2015. [49] Mejia, Zameena. “4 Powerful Reasons Hillary Clinton Always Wears Her Famous Pantsuits.” CNBC. CNBC, September 14, 2017. [50] Boren, Cindy. “A Timeline of Colin Kaepernick's Protests against Police Brutality, Four Years after They Began.” The Washington Post. WP Company, August 26, 2020. [51] Jackson, Amanda. “Don Cheadle Made a Powerful Statement with His Wardrobe Choice on 'SNL'.” CNN. Cable News Network, February 17, 2019.
