Black Models Reign Supreme At British Fashion Awards

Photo: Daniel Deme/WENN 

Black models are not the minority at the British Fashion Awards, but unfortunately, it is not enough.

The nominees for the British Fashion Awards were announced yesterday, and the usual suspects were listed, from Victoria Beckham to Tom Ford to Burberry. What really got our attention was the best model category. For what might be the first time, black models were the majority, with Jourdan Dunn and Malaika Firth being nominated next to Georgia May Jagger.

Yes, two black models were nominated in a three person category. While the winner won’t be announced until November 23, it is a big step in the diversity issue in fashion, but there is still more work to be done.

Spring 2016 once again saw an overwhelming majority of white models, 79 percent to be exact. And it’s just not designers to blame. According to an op-ed by Bethann Hardison for Business of Fashion, modeling agencies are holding black models back by “not allowing the girls to be seen by all the brands that request their models- many white girls are sent, but never the good working black model, unless the brand is very important.” That is a big problem.

Photo: IPA/WENN 

So while we applaud the British Fashion Awards for their major decision to nominate two models of color, we need to see that happening on the runways, in the pages of Vogue and in fashion ad campaigns.

Here are all the nominees for the 2015 British Fashion Awards:

New Establishment Designer
Craig Green
Emilia Wickstead
Mary Katrantzou

Establishment Designer
Erdem
Margaret Howell
Paul Smith

Womenswear Designer
Christopher Kane
J.W. Anderson
Victoria Beckham

Menswear Designer
E. Tautz
J.W. Anderson
Tom Ford

Emerging Womenswear Designer
Faustine Steinmetz
Molly Goddard
Thomas Tait

Emerging Menswear Designer
Astrid Andersen
Grace Wales Bonner
Mr Hare

Emerging Accessory Designer
Charlotte Simone
Fernando Jorge
Jordan Askill

Accessory Designer
Charlotte Olympia
Sophia Webster
Tabitha Simmons

Red Carpet
Christopher Kane
Erdem
Roksanda
Tom Ford

Brand
Alexander McQueen
Anya Hindmarch
Burberry
Stella McCartney

Model
Georgia May Jagger
Jourdan Dunn
Malaika Firth

Creative Campaign
Burberry
Céline
Givenchy

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