At Fall 08 Prada, the fashion world drew a collective gasp when Jourdan Dunn took to the runway bedecked in lace, becoming the first black model to be cast in Miuccia’s show in ten years.
She returned, again as the only black model in the long, leggy line-up, for Spring 09. But at Prada’s suited up show yesterday, the model line-up was back to an especially alabaster cast, which makes us wonder if Jourdan’s two season stint is just a flash in the pan despite recent reports of more diverse runways.
After all, the Prada runway is seen as a barometer of which models’ careers are about to take off. So if the usual holds true, it looks like another knock-out season for Sasha, Hanne Gaby Odiele, Karlie, etc and Ymre Stiekema, Prada’s season exclusive (again).
Tags: Fall 08, Fall 09, Jourdan Dunn, Models, Prada
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I think it is really sad! There is really no excuse to have all white runways today!
this season’s casting was really boring in my opinion. and it dragged down the show.
i found the hair really unflatering. the makeup with the red sequins also seemed more suited for a miumiu look.
katlin who opened and closed the show looked terrible compared to how she looked opening christopher kane. they should have kept her dark hair color…
Jourdan is absolutely killing it everywhere else. I imagine the coming Fall 09 editorial season to be a good one for her. I also hope she scores some good campaigns.
What about Rose Cordero? She’s got Prada written all over her but she seems to have only showed up at Burberry. She has to be one to watch–she is fire!
Russell March has been kind of choking lately with casting, and this is just one more example of how out of step he is. He could have had Rose Cordero as a Milan exclusive and he passed. But really, this won’t hurt Jourdan’s career at all. Prada casting matters much less than it used to. Just look at the last three seasons of their exclusives: very few have had big careers (or any careers at all, in some cases).
Who cares? I’m so sick of the no black women on runways story. Honestly, the black people of the world have far bigger issues to care about. If Prada only wants to hire white models good for her. If Prada wants to hire Jourdan Dunn for two seasons and then not hire her again, good for Prada. Who cares?
I’m kind of over people looking to the fashion industry to be all kinds of things. It has to be racially inclusive, it can’t have thin models because the world doesn’t look like that, it needs to sell clothes cheaper. Why does the fashion industry have to reflect the world when other industries do not have to? When will the press start writing articles about the lack of white men in the NBA?
rose also did maxmara today. she looks shy on the runway compared to her test pictures. but i think she will grow into it quite well this year.
milan is a difficult market to crack if you’re a new model. even more so if you’re a brand new non-white model. so gotta commend her and her agents for her 2 appearances so far. and for keeping her bookings top-level and not diluting her image. (so no urban outfitters catalogs asap like what they did to poor martha streck who has pretty much disappeared from high fashion outside of brasil.)
#5, That’s a pretty disgusting comment you’ve made. Now, we all know that clothing looks better on tall, skinny/fit models on the runway. But once it gets anorexic thin, an unhealthy looking thin, then something should be done.
But there’s really no excuse for Prada to think that their clothing only looks good on white models. Does Dunn not look gorgeous in the photo above?
And I’m sure there are MANY tall, skinny, gorgeous black girls to be found in the world. And ones that can garner more star power than most of the models you DON’T and won’t ever remember from that line up.
All races have more things to worry about than fashion. But can they not worry about opportunities to be closed off by prejudice designers?
Well said #7!
Aw, that’s cute #5. You’re *over* it. Is there a dramatic eyeroll accompanying this obviously sheltered and idiotic sentiment? Or did you splay your fingers in a pattented ‘W’ for whatever?
This matters because race matters. Because women are being excluded from the industry, not only on the modeling front, but as designers, editors, etc. If we continue to proclaim boredom rather than confronting these issues, then guess what? Nothing will change. But from the sound of your post, you don’t care anyway.
#5, You can’t compare the lack of diversity in the fashion industry to that of the NBA. It makes sense that people have issues on the lack of color in fashion industry because it is based on looks; as for the NBA it takes an incredible athlete. Race obviously plays a big part when casting directors cast shows wether they like to admit it or not. There aren’t many white men in the NBA because they probably aren’t talented enough to make it. Im sure the NBA won’t pass up a talented athlete because of his skin color.
I just cannot figure out why designers and casting directors are obligated to cast minority girls for their shows. As a black woman in America the lack of black women on runways of Milan, Paris, and New York is a nonissue for me. If this is the worst “discrimination” in the world then the world has come a long way. I think it is far more insulting to just cast the token minority girl. Just my opinion.
Also why is it that if Chanel Iman doesn’t get a cover or a campaign it is because she is black. Perhaps it is because she is kind of annoying. Once again just my opinion. Insult away.
#11, I don’t think the point is that designers and casting directors should feel obligated to cast minority girls, it’s just depressing that for whatever reason they don’t. It would be more insulting if they did cast minority girls just because they feel obligated too. No ones saying its one the the worlds biggest issue but it is a big issue in the fashion industry and this is a fashion blog.
As a black woman how would you truly feel if there weren’t any minority girls in the business at all. It is sad that it is has to be made an issue, however it does need to be addressed. I cannot believe that as a women of color who is most likely has an interest in “fashion” doesn’t feel that the lack of diversity in the industry is
an issue.
Milan runwas usually lack a lot of diversity, so I’m not really surprised. But overall the models they did cast this season looked horrid. Personally, as someone of color, I feel slightly mad that they rather cast haggered models then beautiful ones from different culutres. But once again Milan is way way behind the other fashion cities when it comes to diversity.
Though Prada is still one of the most influential designers and appearing on her runway is still a significant career boost, the days when it almost guaranteed supermodel-dom are over IMHO.
I think she and Russell Marsh have been so self-consciously going against the tide and choosing girls that are so odd/boring/freakish/bizarre that ppl are beginning to see that their choices in girls aren’t always inspired as much as just arch. It’s become almost self-parodying.
Look at this kaitlin girl or whatever her name is who closed and opened the show. No doubt there are enough fashion followers and ppl with no sense of originality who will follow Prada’s lead and book the girl. But I also suspect she will have no legs in this business because there is really nothing special or interesting about her — which is why Prada chose her.
Not trying to be mean or to badmouth Kaitlin, just trying to make a point here. So, I really don’t care if Miuccia has resorted to going back to a white-is-right approach to casting models. Because the pecking order in models is no longer in her hands.
omg #14 i never thought of it like that it is kinda true. for the last couple of seasons the prada “exclusives” haven’t been as raved over as usual! i’m glad cause look-alikes even in vogue italia area getting pretty pathetic! really!!!!!
11-I totally agree. As a black woman too, I know for fact there our more important issues than squabbling over having politically correct runways. And for Chanel Iman, she doesn’t hardly ever mention her Korean background so why should we recognize her as a “black” model.
So #11 and #16, you guys pretty much agree that you wouldn’t have a problem if there weren’t any black models on the runways? There are more important issues, but just like #12 puts it, “It is an issue in the fashion industry and this is a fashion blog.”
#16, Your last sentence does not make any sense. Your saying we shouldn’t recognize her as a “black” model because she hardly ever mentions her Korean background??? I highly doubt she leaves out her Korean background when asked about her ethnicity.