Foreword: This post has been a
few months in the making and I actually submitted this as a piece for a
magazine; although it wasn't picked up, it was still a topic I very much wanted
to discuss. It hadn't been talked about in so long so I wanted to bring it back
to the forefront of everyone's mind, but then boom, suddenly everyone was talking and posting
about it and I felt a little deflated. I thought about not posting any longer
as I felt others would inevitably write the piece better, but then I thought
"my opinion is just as valid as others", so here I am contributing my
two-cents. Please note that this isn't attacking anyone, but I really think it's important to not be afraid of having uncomfortable conversations like this as it's the only way things will change. This also isn't going to read as a magazine article as I'm not a
journalist and thus, do not wrote that way. It's not a style of writing I
personally enjoy reading so would never adopt it as my writing style, plus, I love the way that I write! So
here it is, my opinion - always open and always honest.
To Be Visible
This
is not the first time this issue has been raised and it will continue to be
raised for as long as this remains a huge issue. Brands and companies still predominantly
use white/ European models and bloggers to promote their products, and one
reason that has been muted is because it's presumed the lighter a woman is, the
more appeasing the product will be. It's an archaic notion but a persistent one nonetheless. When the magazine W recently
published their collection of covers, there wasn't a single person of colour in
sight - they released seven covers, seven, yet every cover was of white actors
and actresses. When Mindy Kaling was on the cover of Elle there
was outrage (from myself included) that her cover was in black and white,
whereas the three "alternative" covers, with white celebrities, were
in colour.
Photography by Carter Smith for Elle. Imagine from
Guardian website.
In
an article by The Guardian, a nameless female magazine editor (presumably
because she recognised her words were nothing short of alarming), was quoted
"with split covers [where there are several cover options], you're not
relying on one cover to sell your whole magazine, so you can be more
experimental and take a risk". These were the words from a magazine
editor at the hight of her powers. From a woman who believes putting a woman of
colour on the cover is considered a "risk". Where does hope lie if
those in power still believe this theory?! And is this theory even true? Lupita
Nyong'o has graced numerous magazine covers to rapturous applause and is the
current face of Lancôme where reaction has been utterly
positive. People have marvelled at her natural beauty as well as praised Lancôme for
using a dark skinned woman as their main representative.
Imagine copyright of Lancôme.
But
Lupita is a small victory. Award season is upon us and once again, people of
colour are almost non existent. It feels like lasts years Oscar triumph of 12
Years A Slave was a novelty; indeed, the 2015 nomination for Selma in the best
film category screams ''My friend has an uncle who goes to church with someone
who has a black acquaintance''. It's insulting. How long do we have to wait for
an actual change to happen?!
But
it's not just in Hollywood, what about the blogger world? Bloggers have become
the new celebrities. They get interviewed, featured in magazines, partake in
photoshoots, and have, for the top bloggers, literally thousands of followers
the world over. Brands have realised the power of the blogger and know the kind
of influence they have, so it makes sense to work with them, but with that they
must also recognise that they can't afford to be exclusive. Fellow blogger, Ragini recognised that although she is a woman of colour, she also has her
privileges, "I seem to have worked with more brands than I ought, and if I'm absolutely honest, I think size and light skin
privilege have more than a little to do with it". Blogging is also global yet there seems to be a pecking order in regards to the haves and have
nots. Where Ragini has light skin privilege, she still suffers
geographically, "I live in India. I've been approached by more brands than
I could name who just disappeared into the ether once I gave them my address
(to send products to.) These days, I've come to accept and even expect that
there won't be a reply, which is kind of depressing."
There
has been suggestion that white/ European bloggers should shun attention
bestowed upon them by brands as a sign of solidarity, but I personally disagree
with this notion. All bloggers are incredibly grateful to be recognised
in any capacity in regards to their blog, so why should said
bloggers feel they have to miss out on lucrative opportunities (monetary or
expose) because of the omission of minorities?!
For
me, the responsibility lies with the brands to give a fair representation of
their customers. It is not for bloggers to solely fight for equality, but for
those at the helm to also fight for it. Charlotte is a blogger and fashion
designer, and she has noticed repetitive behaviour with brands, "...with some
bloggers becoming more and more popular, and with brands cashing in on them you
start to realise that there is still a barrier. I have recently noticed that
brands typically work with a certain type of blogger that is deemed 'pretty' or
'commercial', and there isn't much diversity at all. I think this creates
minorities within minorities, and defeats the point of what blogging is meant
to achieve." But there are some positive movements out there trying to
break down those barriers, Charlotte explains, "Organisations like
Diversity NOW!/ All Walks, work closely with designers to encourage diversity
on the catwalk." This is a great thing but there needs to be more activism
as any changes that do happen seem to be very slow moving.
Brands
regularly working with bloggers is truly a wonderful thing, but we need to see
different faces, personalities, and yes, ethnicities gracing websites as this
would surely only show that brands are embracing the message that all are
worthy and that the consumer is deserving of fair representation.
I'd love to hear what you guys think. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or send me an email: anautumnsgrace@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading!
'til next time.
Isha
xxx
I'd love to hear what you guys think. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or send me an email: anautumnsgrace@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading!
'til next time.
Isha
xxx
Some interesting points here, I would love that both the media & blogger world to be diverse enough to feature all people, body shapes, race, creed and accept that humanity needs to be celebrated.
ReplyDeleteWell written post hun :)
Kat x
www.henryskat.blogpot.co.uk
Thanks so much. I think it is an issue that definitely needs to be talked about more. It feels sometimes that it's just accepted, but we need to be more vocal in our want for more diversity in all aspects. x
DeleteI agree and it angers me that we haven't really moved on that much in however many years that a black face on a cover won't sell magazines, it's ludicrous! Sometimes it makes me wonder if the 'powers that be' think this way and actually the public would prove them wrong by buying the magazine anyway or if there really would be a dip in sales that week or month. Like I said, it's just ludicrous that there are people out there that think that way and it has to change. Same goes for movies, there are only certain POC deemed 'big enough' or 'acceptable' (or whatever term would be used) to be the sole lead in a film or part of a POC cast (Will Smith comes to mind) and that's just ridiculous. I also agree with you, that there is a certain type of 'commercial' blogger and they are the ones that get the most exposure, gifted items and given opportunities. They all look the same or are of the same 'mould'! I definitely think there is a size issue in amongst that, plus size ladies do feel excluded from the majority of these things or solely invited to "plus size" events and nothing outwith that. For example, why can't a plus size woman be a good beauty blogger? Why should the emphasis constantly be on her size instead of her interests? New follower btw : )
ReplyDeleteI agree and it angers me that we haven't really moved on that much in however many years that a black face on a cover won't sell magazines, it's ludicrous! Sometimes it makes me wonder if the 'powers that be' think this way and actually the public would prove them wrong by buying the magazine anyway or if there really would be a dip in sales that week or month. Like I said, it's just ludicrous that there are people out there that think that way and it has to change. Same goes for movies, there are only certain POC deemed 'big enough' or 'acceptable' (or whatever term would be used) to be the sole lead in a film or part of a POC cast (Will Smith comes to mind) and that's just ridiculous. I also agree with you, that there is a certain type of 'commercial' blogger and they are the ones that get the most exposure, gifted items and given opportunities. They all look the same or are of the same 'mould'! I definitely think there is a size issue in amongst that, plus size ladies do feel excluded from the majority of these things or solely invited to "plus size" events and nothing outwith that. For example, why can't a plus size woman be a good beauty blogger? Why should the emphasis constantly be on her size instead of her interests? New follower btw : )
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a certain "plus size" that seems to be accepted not only by the general public, but also by brands. I have no animosity to those bloggers who get opportunities, for me, the brands need to do more and push for more of a mixture. We are an ever growing community and that should be celebrated. :)
DeleteGreat minds think alike Hun I too have been writting something on this topic. I could my agree with you more!
ReplyDeleteWith mega star musicians, actors and celebrities being women of colour and varying ethnicities you would think the fashion industry would too capitalise on that. I guess this is something that is slowly getting there. Hopefully sooner rather than later xx
Indeed - sooner rather than later. I look forward to reading your post about it. :) xx
DeleteThis is a compelling, and saddening observation. Race and marketing continue to be a topic for debate, but what I don't understand is why. As you mention other brands are more diverse in their marketing approach and their stock didn't plummet. They didn't file for bankruptcy! So what risk do we posses? I will be sharing
ReplyDeleteThan you. Yes, the "risk" element is a tough pill to swallow, particularly when those notions are unfounded.
DeleteThanks for sending me the link - this is a really well written, thought provoking post
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathryn. And thank you for sharing too! x
DeleteAn excellent post. There is a huge lack of diversity in fashion, and plus size fashion is no exception. Brands always choose the smaller end of the sizing scale to model and it's always eurocentric prettiness.
ReplyDeleteYeah there's a lot that needs to change. We need to keep talking about it so people don't forget we still have a long way to go. x
Delete