Italian Vogue‘s EIC, Franca Sozzani addressed the issue of discrimination in the fashion industry on her amazing blog last week, asking “Is skin color still an issue?”:

“We continue to give it [diversity] more space in the magazine and website. The truth is that real beauty doesn’t care for skin color or nationality.”

For Sozzani there is no issue of race, no issue of discrimination and she wonders why readers think it’s “such an issue to choose black models?”

Well, the answer is simple. For so long, beauty was defined by a specific type of girl; designers and magazines only chose skinny, non-distinct Eastern European girls which became the industry standard.

The trend is slowly shifting, but it’s difficult to change the perception of fashion being particularly racist when the industry itself is responsible for the proliferation of that perception.

So in reaction to this homogeneity, any time there is an editorial exclusively featuring black models the inevitable debate begins anew:  is this a matter of progress or exploitation?

I’d like to think it’s progress. It’s incredibly important and inspiring to see beauty represented in all forms and all colors, for society and for the fashion industry. Everyone needs to see themselves reflected in ads and editorials in order to feel beautiful and to feel that they too are respected consumers.

And furthermore, after looking at pale, emaciated human hangers for all those seasons, I think we could all use an injection of, dare I say, color.

Check out the rest of the editorial — a jazz-inspired romp through the Harlem Renaissance — shot by Emma Summerton and styled by Edward Enninful at Lookbooks!

Photos: Vogue.it / Link Love: Style House Files

PHOTOGRAPHY: MERT ALAS & MARCUS PIGGOTT

STYLING: CARINE ROITFELD

MODEL: ROSE CORDERO

SPOT AT THE FASHION SPOT

Rose Cordero’s Vogue Paris March 2010 cover, shot by Mert and Marcus, is the first Vogue Paris cover for a black model since 2002. She wears Alexander McQueen, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Check out the spread here.

Photography:  Steven Meisel

Styling:   Lori Goldstein

Models:  Agyness Deyn, Alla Kostromicheva, Aminata Niaria, Anna De Rijk, Anna Selezneva, Constance Jablonski, Daria Strokus, Freja Beha Erichsen, Frida Gustavsson, Gwen Loos, Hanne Gaby, Irina Kulikova, Iris Strubegger, Isabeli Fontana, Iselin Steiro, Monika Jagaciack, Jamie Bochert, Kamila Filipcikova, Karen Elson, Karlie Kloss, Kasia Struss, Kendra Spears, Lara Stone, Lily Donaldson, Liya Kebede, Magdalena Frackowiak, Mirte Maas, Natasha Poly, Patricia van der Vliet, Ranya Mordanova, Rianne ten Haken, Rose Cordero, Sasha Pivovarova, Sessilee Lopez, Sigrid Agren, Siri Tollerod, Snejana Onopka and Viktoriya Sasonkina

Photographer: Paolo Roversi

Models: Ymre Stiekema, Darya Kurovska, Sigrid Agren, Imogen Morris Clarke, Constance Jablonski, Heidi Mount, Toni Garrn, Jourdan Dunn and Rose Cordero

GALLERY: SPREAD UM: “A Dream Of A Dress” Vogue Italia September 2009

Thanks Fashion Copious!

Cover Models include Alana Zimmer, Alla Kostromicheva, Behati Prinsloo, Christina Kruse, Daiane Conterato, Darya Kurovska, Georgina Stojiljkovic, Hanne Gaby Odiele, Hannelore Knuts, Iris Strubegger, Isabeli Fontana, Meghan Collison, Mina Cvetkovic, Natasa Vojnovic, Ranya Mordanova, Rose Cordero, Suvi Koponen, Valentina Zelyaeva, and Yulia Kharlapanova.
Photography by Paul Rowland

Via DesignScene