Racism is endemic in fashion, but Italian Vogue has made a controversial stand by producing an all-black issue using only black models throughout. Its editor, Franca Sozzani explains why she's not afraid to be provocative.
Naomi Campbell, Iman and Jourdan Dunn grace Vogue Italia's all black issue.
"The idea came to me six months ago. We were trying to think of something new, Obama was fighting Hillary, and I began to notice that all these girls at fashion shows looked alike. It occurred to me that it would be interesting to see some different girls, black girls, and that was the beginning of the story."
The problem, she insists, is not institutional racism in the fashion world but a lack of choice. "There are 10 black models to every 1,000 white girls." But will the issue, which some might view as wildly tokenistic, make more of a difference than, say, including more black models every month? "Now that I have seen the reaction, I want to put more of them in the magazine.
Photograph by Steven Meisel
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