In a new article at Huffington Post in which designers are rated for their diversity of models in their fashion shows(or their unfortunate lack therof),Gwen and L.A.M.B. are praised for featuring models of all colors and ethnicities in L.A.M.B. shows. We think that is wonderful!
Last year I caused a bit of a stir, to put it mildly, when I authored a blog post which appeared on this site titled, “Why I’m Wearing Vivienne Tam and Betsey Johnson (and Why Every Black Woman Should).”
In it I argued that based on the findings of a Loop21.com report that analyzed which designers were more likely to feature models of color on their runways during New York Fashion Week, I had a better idea of which designers I would be wearing going forward.
At the time I wrote, “Most of the runways at New York Fashion Week were about as diverse as a Tea Party rally.” Maybe a tad harsh, but not inaccurate. Of 144 shows, 25 featured no black models at all, while 19 featured no Asian models and Latinos appeared in 63 shows.
There were some bright spots though. Designers Betsey Johnson, Gwen Stefani, Diane Von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Vivienne Tam, Oscar de la Renta, First Lady favorite Jason Wu and the label Imitation of Christ, all featured multiple black models and models of all colors in their shows. This year the news and the numbers are even better for models and consumers of color.