PUBLISHED SHOOT A WOMAN OF MANY FACES

WOAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My work got Published online @

http://www.dimensionmag.com/#/WOMAN_OF_MANY_FACES

This is really exciting for me - because i put alot of work into this shoot!!
2days before it - i was about to give in and admit to biting off more than i could chew..
but thanks to my life saver Designer Kate Williams http://www.katewilliams.net/
and the crazy beautiful Syban Velardi-Laufer amazing Gold corset!

& my AMAZING team
Credits:
Photographer: Kristine Joramo Make Up/Hair Stylist: Sarah vaites Model: Sicily Gianni BMAModels

This was a response to the issue that i believe there is TOKENISM within our fashion industry regarding race. Every magazine is filled with WHITE models, when Other races such as black and Asian models are used, there is a spectacle made of the issue such as Italian Vogue's black issue 08 july, then come October 2009 we see Lara Stone a dutch white model painted black in French Vogue , which rightly so - caused quite a stir..

Racism Fru strates me, in this day and age there shouldn't any, and it should never have existed.. we are all as humans from the same source whether that be a god or a scientific source.. ( im not completely su re the ins & outs of creation..) Grr the whole thing is soo frustrating!! Fashion should be embracing cult ure and exotic looks - I'm over white models.. aren't you?!
ohh and don't get me started on how frustrating "tribal editorials - using black models" - ARGH its not original in the slightest!!

I interviewed Sicily (My Somalian Model) about these issues

Questionnaire

Do you ever feel like an outcast?

No, I don’t really feel like am an outcast

When I first started modelling I took rejection bad and when agents didn’t cast dark skin models it was quite upsetting but I’ve learnt to deal with it, because I have accepted I was given this skin and it wasn’t a choice

Do you think that your skin colour affects the amount of jobs you get?

Yes it does and I will always get the same excuse, “your look isn’t in fashion right now” or “your beautiful but your just not what we are looking for” its very disheartening and there are times when agents only cast Caucasian models and I have to wait till they are casting dark models.

Do you feel like Black women face tokenism within the fashion industry?

Yes I do, some more than others. Every fashion shows you’ll probably count the black models in 1 hand. Some high end brands won’t use any. YSL was the first to use Somali supermodel IMAN Bowie in early 80’s

It was also sad to learn that the fashion industry is the only employment sector that hasn’t forced the equal opportunity act forward.

What do you think of Italian Vogue’s Black Issue?

Personally I liked the idea of the “black Issue” but it hasn’t really done any change except make vogue richer, some call it the Obama affect and even I-D Magazine started doing their “Black Issue” in September, but hasn’t changed anything. They say black don’t sell but it sold the black issue and if vogue really wanted get more people of different ethnicity to buy their magazine then they need to give them a variety

Who do you believe is to blame for the lack of ethnicity in fashion World?:

a) Designers:

b) Magazines:

c) General Public:

Why?

This is definitely an interesting topic and much talked about. I personally put the blame on the agents and designers. Agents need to send out more ethnic models to casting even if they don’t get chosen still send them to casting. Designers have an image and some of their image only consists of Caucasian models. The agent is the middle man and does have an affect on designers/ clients, I strongly believe if designers casted their own models maybe the fashion industry would have changed by now, but who knows

What did you think about French Vogue painting Lara Stone (white model) Black in their ‘Top Model’ edition, which did not include any Black Models?

I was actually confused about this; I wasn’t quite sure what they were trying to put across and the message of it. They didn’t need to paint a Caucasian model black when there are plenty of beautiful black models across the globe that have features just like Lara Stone. Was it artistic? NO! Personally that isn’t my taste of art. Blackface is associated with racism worldwide so are French Vogue trying to push out Prejudice views? I hope so and if they are I support them.

What do you think about my idea to paint you white?!

Just reading the French Vogue on the Lara Stone article I think it’s an amazing idea. Frankly if French Vogue can paint a white model black, Sophie has just turned table and painted a black model white and it has NEVER been done before, so congratulations Sophie. Out of all these big name magazines a 21yrs old (Sophie) had a huge impact on me and her idea would hopefully get the fashion industry to pay attention

This was good feedback - i was concerned how people would respond :)

So that's why i pushed the envelop and painted my dear Somalian Friend Sicily Gianni ( shes in the newest issue of Pride - WAT CH THIS FACE!!) White, natural and blacker, I wanted to prove that she could be just as versatile as a white girl!!

It was time consuming but thanks to Sarah Vaites who i found @ Grease Paint - she managed to work to her best abilities to spray/paint within 2 hrs each day!! Absolute Angel!!

THANK YOU to my wonderful photographer Kristine Joramo !

The pictures of her are barely recognizable, Ive had a few friends say
" The blonde is a hottie" -
"Ah all the images are of the same model"
"Woah SERIOUSLY"

Thanks for checking this out!! Just so you know this coming September according to NyMag Black models appeared with greater frequency in this year's September issues than they did in magazines a couple of years ago. But according to Jezebel, which tallied the number of black models appearing in this year's major American September editorial features, most still aren't landing solo editorials. Vogue cast black models for multi-model editorials, but none for her own spread. Meanwhile Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Lucky, and Marie Claire cast no black models for September editorials.
http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/08/black_models_make_weak_showing.html?mid=fashion-alert--20100830

So just like i said, is making a spectacle of "Race" changing the industry, um NOOO... the future of magazines should be editorials that are filled of different races together with white!
No more segregation - more integration!!

:)