The fashion catwalks have not always been diverse. For many years, we saw the same type of model strut down the runway with the same body type and skin complexion—skinny and very fair. Every now and then to avoid being called out for racism some designers would have 1 or 2 models of color to walk their show. Obviously, that isn’t okay.
Modeling might not be viewed in the same way as being a doctor, but it's importance as a profession is real. Fashion is a multimillion-dollar industry that needs to be representative of the world at large; it needs to show more diversity. With the rise of social media, our community's voice got louder and stronger, and we were able to call out certain injustices on the spot. We put a spotlight on the designer brands that we deemed as less inclusive and demanded that they showed fair representation of our culture in their ads and on their catwalks.
It seems that some of these fashion houses have taken heed as this season their runways were filled with glorious models of various ethnicities and hues. And though we’ve made a lot of progress on the runways, we still have a ways to go.
Here's a selection of the beautiful Black models flexing their stuff this season on the catwalks of New York, London, Milan and Paris. Get into their gorgeous melanin, below.
