By Alexis Stodghill, BlackVoices.com
All Black Italian Vogue
Naomi Campbell
"It's great that you all are scooping up the Vogue Italias in drones and supporting black models... but is anyone considering that the adverts are all white and that is where the true revenue flow exists in fashion and publishing? If these gorgeous black models that grace the pages of this BLACK ISSUE are not booking campaigns, where's the justice? In fact, it seems Vogue Italia is PIMPING the black models---using them to sell issues while pocketing the money and padding the pockets of Caucasian models. For these models featured, the spreads make good tearsheets, but not dollars or impact. I WILL NOT buy this gimmicky issue of VOGUE. And I urge you all to do the same." By jaja's juice on The Fashion Bomb
Dan Kitwood, Getty Images
Chanel Iman
"If it's about a multicultural society why is it only black women? What about Asian women too? Aren't we over the whole black/white thing? People seem to forget there are Asians in this world too, always under represented yet never complaining." By rv14u2nv on Red Carpet Fashion Awards
Retna
Alek Wek
"Times are a changing and I'm happy to still be alive and well to possibly see our first African-American President... it's nice to see the fashion industry is following... one step at a time America... one step at a time! All I ever really wanted is... peace on earth, equality for all, and of course really cute shoes." By rv14u2nv on The Budget Fashionista
Dan Kitwood, Getty Images
E Dougherty, WireImage.com
Bryan Bedder, Getty Images
Jamie McCarthy, WireImage.com
Thomas Concordia, WireImage.com
Paul Hawthorne, WireImage.com
Theo Wargo, WireImage.com
Jemal Countess, WireImage.com
Over the past year, discussions about the lack of diversity on high fashion runways took place during live panels created by black leaders in the industry like Bethann Hardison, and on the pages of lofty publications like the New York Times. The question on everybody's lips quickly became: Is fashion racist? The next logical question was: If so, what is anybody supposed to do about it? The editors of Italian Vogue seized this questioning moment as an opportunity to showcase only black models for its July issue in quite possibly the most successful fashion magazine publicity stunt in history. The issue sold out in the U.S. almost immediately, prompting Condé Nast to quickly print 40,000 more copies to meet an extraordinary demand.
Outside of the exclusive realm of beauty image-makers, online reactions to the "Black Issue" of Italian Vogue have been ferocious and heart-felt. Read some of the most gripping quotes from top fashion spots above, and leave your own thoughts below. The models featured here were in the Italian Vogue "Black Issue," including many older beauties who broke fashion's color barrier decades ago.
Mangesh Somvanshi, Photo Editor
1. Its 2008 I never thought I was see a black man in the running for president. But the skin color issue as long as it has been around just don't look like it will go away. we as black people know that our skin color ranges from vanilla to a blakish blue, and yes all of them our beautiful and we don't need a magazine to remind us, If Ebony, Jet and Essence will give equal coverage of all skin shades then we can continually make progress. We all know that we have to first love ourselves before we can expect someone else to.
gen at 6:26PM on Jul 31st 2008