Commenting on the lack of racial diversity on the runways, some casting directors revealed complete indifference to the terms of the debate: “I don’t like to talk in terms of white, Asian, black, etc.,” said Barbara Nicoli, who casts shows for Burberry, Marchesa, Gucci and so on. “Because a model is a model and that’s it. To me, if we want to talk about diversity, it’s about the model and not the color of their skin. It’s more about the body, the face and the attitude.”
That would be a reasonable point of view in a more perfect world, but in our imperfect one, the fashion industry helps propagate a bigoted standard of beauty which excludes anyone who isn’t young, thin, white — and that will only change when the people who are employed to produce runway shows and glossy magazines make an active effort. Race is just one part of the problem, but the historical context (slavery within the U.S., colonialism abroad) and stark socioeconomic consequences of institutionalized racism make it something we need to address like, yesterday.
For casting directors who are having such trouble finding acceptable non-white models to hire for fashion jobs, we’ve pulled together a slideshow of just 23 young women of various non-Caucasian ethnicities. We’ve included a broad range of ages, experience levels and degrees of commercial viability, but this is by no means a comprehensive selection — for example, we didn’t even include top model Chanel Iman, who recently told the Sunday Times that designers will still say to her, “We already found one black girl. We don’t need you any more.” Please don’t be that person.
Hire These Models!
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Chiharu Okunugi
Age: 20
Nationality: Japanese
Agency: New York Model ManagementMeet Prada’s Fall 2013 Model Exclusives (Forum Buzz)
Image via IMAXtree
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Cora Emmanuel
Age: 20
Nationality: French (from Martinique)
Agency: The Society ManagementImage via IMAXtree
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Du Juan
Age: 30
Nationality: Chinese
Agency: IMGImage via WENN
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Fei Fei Sun
Age: 24
Nationality: Chinese
Agency: New York Women Model ManagementMeet Fashion Week's Most Hotly Anticipated Models
Image via IMAXtree
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Grace Mahary
Age: 23
Nationality: Canadian
Agency: Ford & IMGThe Fashion Spot’s Top 10 Model Newcomers for Spring 2013 (Forum Buzz)
20 Models On Our Runway Radar This Week
Image via IMAXtree
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Jasmine Tookes
Age: 22
Nationality: US
Agency: IMGImage via WENN
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Ji Hye Park
Age: 24
Nationality: South Korean
Agency: Elite New York20 Models On Our Runway Radar This Week
The Fashion Spot’s Top 10 Model Newcomers for Spring 2013 (Forum Buzz)
Image via IMAXtree
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Joan Smalls
Age: 24
Nationality: Puerto Rican
Agency: IMG20 Models On Our Runway Radar This Week
Meet Fashion Week's Most Hotly Anticipated Models
Joan Smalls is a Vision in Black and White in Prabal Gurung’s Spring 2013 Ad Campaign (Forum Buzz)
Joan Smalls is the World's Current Top Model (Forum Buzz)
Joan Smalls Goes Over the Top for Vogue Italia (Forum Buzz)
Image via IMAXtree
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Jourdan Dunn
Age: 22
Nationality: British
Agency: Women Model ManagementWatch Cara Delevingne & Jourdan Dunn Harlem Shake Backstage at Topshop
Image via IMAXtree
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Kwak Ji Young
Nationality: Korean
Agency: EliteImage via Elite Paris Fall 2013 Show Package
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Liu Wen
Age: 25
Nationality: Chinese
Agency: MarilynImage via IMAXtree
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Liya Kebede
Age: 35
Nationality: Ethiopian
Agency: IMGWe’re in Love with Harper’s Bazaar Spain’s Minimal May Cover Featuring Liya Kebede (Forum Buzz)
Image via WENN
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Maria Borges
Age: 20
Nationality: Angolan
Agency: SupremeImage via IMAXtree
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Shanina Shaik
Age: 22
Nationality: Australian
Agency: Next Model ManagementShanina Shaik is Australia's Latest Genetically Blessed Reality TV Success Story
3 Under 30: Closed Set with Julie Bensman
Image via IMAXtree
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Sharam Diniz
Age: 22
Nationality: Portuguese
Agency: Next Model ManagementImage via IMAXtree
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Shu Pei
Age: 23
Nationality: Chinese
Agency: Next Model ManagementImage via IMAXtree
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Soo Joo Park
Age: 23
Nationality: Korean
Agency: Wilhelmina ModelsImage via Damien Neva for Wilhelmina Models
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Sui He
Age: 23
Nationality: Chinese
Agency: New York Model ManagementMalgosia Bela, Isabeli Fontana and Sui He Star in Roberto Cavalli’s Spring 2013 Campaign
W Gets Edgy With Sui He and Ai Weiwei For Their Art Issue (Forum Buzz)
Image via IMAXtree
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Sung Hee Kim
Age: 26
Nationality: South Korean
Agency: Wilhelmina ModelsThe Full Prada Spring 2013 Campaign Is Here Because Today Keeps Getting Better and Better
Miu Miu’s Ads for Resort 2013 are Awesome (Forum Buzz)
Image via IMAXtree
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Tian Yi
Age: 18
Nationality: Chinese
Agency: Fusion Models20 Models On Our Runway Radar This Week
The 15 Most In-Demand Catwalkers of Fall 2013
Image via IMAXtree
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Tsheca White
Age: 18
Nationality: Jamaican
Agency: -
Xiao Wen Ju
Age: 20
Nationality: Chinese
Agency: IMGImage via IMAXtree
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Yumi Lambert
Age: 16
Nationality: Belgian
Agency: IMG20 Models On Our Runway Radar This Week
Meet Prada’s Spring 2013 Model Exclusives (Forum Buzz)
Karl Lagerfeld Likes ‘Em Young in the Chanel Spring 2013 Ad Campaign (Forum Buzz)
Image via IMAXtree
