According to a diversity study done by the Fashion Spot, in which 782 cover appearances across 49 top international fashion publications were reviewed, 2017 was the most inclusive year yet when it comes to model diversity in the fashion industry.
In fact, 2017 was the first year in which the runways, ad campaigns and leading international fashion magazine covers all passed the 30 percent racial diversity marker.
editorial
VOGUE
WHAT DIVERSITY?
This historic American Vogue cover of September 2004, featured nine stunning models but only one of these girls is not Caucasian (Liya Kebede, an Ethiopian born model, designer and philanthropist who was the first black model to have landed a Vogue cover in five years at the time of publication. One would think that no other black models exist!). Furthermore, quite shockingly the other eight models are all blue eyed and very fair skinned with strikingly similar features and bone structures.
AMERICAN VOGUE COVER SEPTEMBER 2004
AMERICAN VOGUE COVER SEPTEMBER 2014
are we still in 2004?
This cover very much reminds of the non-diverse 2004 cover. Featuring nine prominent models including not only Moroccan/Dutch Imaan Hammam, but also Porto Rican dark-skinned Joan Smalls, Chinese Fei Fei Sun, short Cara Delevingne, and exceptionally tall Karlie Kloss. Surprisingly though, Vogue managed to abolish all diversity in the actual cover shot by not only photographing the girls in such a way as to make them appear all of equal height but also managing to make all girls look the same. Imaan’s unruly curls are tamed into a tight bun, just like her Caucasian sisters, and Fei Fei’s eyes are made up to look as almond shaped as everybody else’s.
that's more like it-
or not really?
At first glance this recent Vogue cover appears to be very diversity inclusive, with models of different ethnicities, as well as a plus-size model. However, like the other Vogue covers, this March issue received quite some backlash since all models still appear to have the same facial features. Furthermore, none of the models' skin colors are darker than a "brown paper bag". Ashley Graham also seems to have been strategically covered by her fellow models to disguise part of her leg. Furthermore, the backlash resulted from using only one "token" plus-size model. Vogue seems to be thinking that by including one non-size-zero model, it can be overlooked that all models still practically look the same.
