Top black stylemakers pulled no punches Friday at a panel discussion that accused some top names in fashion of racism.
But in a thought-provoking discussion involving Iman, Andre Leon Talley, Tracy Reese and others, Naomi Campbell stole the show with remarks that make us wonder what, again, is she smoking?
"I've never been on the cover of British Vogue and I've asked a million times and they've always refused me," Campbell insisted at the Blacks in Fashion event.
"They'll put the same white model for half the year — I swear like six times, but wouldn't put me on once in my own country. But I still want my British Vogue cover!"
For the record, since 1987 Naomi has been on the cover of British Vogue eight times: twice with other models, once posing with Diddy and five times by herself.
That bizarre comment aside, Campbell spoke some hard truths about being a person of color in the fashion industry.
"The only time they care about black models is in February [Black History Month]," she said.
"Linda [Evangelista] and Christy [Turlington] would go to big designers and say, 'If you don't pick Naomi to be in your show, then I don't want to be in it.' That's how I got Prada and Helmut [Lang]."
She also said she appeared on the cover of French Vogue only because Yves Saint Laurent "called up ... and told them he'd pull his ads if they didn't. So of course I got the cover."
It must really have been a big deal — she remembers that one!
Source: NY Daily News
Strange. I wonder what Naomi was thinking? I do think it's a bit sad that so far this was the only newspaper article I could find referring to the "Blacks in Fashion" panel discussion, which it didn't even mention it by name. I hope someone gives a first hand account of what when on there, Naomi drama aside.
**EDIT**: I was just over at Clutch Magazine's site and it looks like the panel discussion received some ink from The Guardian.
Source: Lipstick Alley (MAR)
4 comments:
There's also a big story on it in Women's Wear Daily
Yes I saw that story in WWD. As for Naomi, she is completely nuts but those remarks are very interesting and says a lot about the fashion industry. The problem is because she talks complete bullshit half the time like saying she has never been on the cover of Vogue when she quite clearly has, that no-one will ever take her seriously. How can they? She can barely get her story straight.
I don't know if Naomi was thinking of another magazine or what but she sure is a piece of work. I guess drugs really do kill brain cells.
as much as i like naomi, she has been on the cover of uk vogue. but she has got a damn good point about how vogue uses white models all the time. in terms of mainstream mags, i can only think of elle + cosmopolitan that use black models at times. i remember once seeing that famous jamaican model jaunel in an ELLE shoot, i was so happy with shock.
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