It's Time For Change

{Images from Style.com}

Models left to right: Tao Okamoto for 3.1 Phillip Lim, Ubah Hassan for Oscar de la Renta, Gracie Carvalho for Derek Lam, Han Jin for Lela Rose, Lakshmi Menon for Badgley Mischka, Emma Pei for Lela Rose

Models from right to left: Jeneil Williams for Diesel, Hye Park and Arlenis Niaria for Oscar de la Renta, Jourdan Dunn for Rodarte, Georgie Badiel for Oscar de la Renta, Chanel Iman for DKNY

It's a new year, a new government, and a much needed new set of ideals for our fashion industry.  Without the instance of editor-in-chief Franca Sozanni and photographer Steven Meisel, Vogue Italia's "Black Issue" (July 2008) almost  never made it to print because of the industry standard that "women of color don't sell".  In an interview with Reuters, Franca Sozanni said 

"America... is ready for a black president, so why are we not ready for a black model?" 

Against all odds, this small circulation magazine became what is known as a "cultural watershed of fashion", selling out instantly, and creating a global phenomenon.  Within the first month of hitting newsstands Conde Nast had to reprint and distribute 40,000 more copies, several of which people are now selling for $50 on Ebay.  

The implications of the "Black Issue" are finally being noticed at our very own New York fashion week.  Never before have so many women of color and nationalities walked our catwalks, holding up a new standard of what is beautiful in our melting pot of a country.  On Naomi Cambell's plan to establish a modeling agency to promote racial diversity, model-of-the-moment Jourdan Dunn says 

"I'd do an agency for black girls and Asian and Spanish, because there aren't enough of them on the runway either."