“Dear white people in the fashion world”: Model Nykhor Paul’s impassioned call for change
Though the fashion industry has come a long, long way in terms of accepting people of different colors, creeds, ethnicities, and backgrounds, there’s no denying that the industry is far from achieving full equality. Sometimes, the level of discrimination can play out in big ways—like when Ethiopian model Liya Kedebe became the first black model to appear on the cover of Vogue Paris…in five years—or in seemingly insignificant, but ultimately telling ways, as model Nykhor Paul recently pointed out in a heated Instagram post.
The 25-year-old South Sudan native, a former refugee and active humanitarian, took to the social media site to call out the fashion industry on the more subtle ways she’s seen racism play out, including the fact that she usually has to bring her own makeup to shoots and runway shows because makeup artists don’t carry foundations that match what she calls her “blue black” skin.
The full statement (accompanied by a stunning picture of Paul) reads as follows:
It’s no secret that the fashion industry has lacked diversity in a major way. The Fashion Spot reports that at this year’s New York Fashion Week, “Black models only accounted for roughly 8.7%, followed closely by Asian models at 8.5%. Latina models only made up 3.5%.” Meanwhile, Fusion reports that, last year, only 14% of magazine cover models were women of color.
Considering the fact that Paul has appeared in shows for John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood, Thom Browne, and Balenciago, it’s pretty clear that this problem goes all the way to the top and affects models at every level of success.
“In fashion, I represent my country and all the beautiful South Sudanese girls who didn’t get a chance to escape refugee life,” Paul told i-D earlier this year. “If they did have a chance, they’d all be modeling, like me.”
But first the fashion world needs to create a more inclusive, accepting environment for women of color. Here’s hoping Nykhor Paul’s call for equality affects real change.
(Image via Instagram)
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