Painting the White Canvas with Colour

PAINTING THE WHITE CANVAS

WITH COLOUR.

Not often do we encounter people of color in the fashion industry given that it’s a predominately white field. Only with today’s pursuit of diversity can we visually see an abundance of Black models and Artists. Chanel, a company founded almost 112 years ago, recently had its first Black-male-model walk a show in 2019; his name was Alton Mason. Even if Black impact on fashion is only visible today, in retrospect it has always existed.

Many fashion trends we love derive from Black Culture. The lettuce hem that was popularized in the 80s and reintroduced in 2020 was actually created by a Black designer named Stephen Burrows. Sneaker culture and gold hoops also stem from Black culture; however, with the emergence of trends like the “clean girl aesthetic,” we notice the damaging effects of non-recognition. With this specific trend, we can see the irony presented as gold hoops, slicked-back buns, and minimal makeup were reclaimed and identified as clean femininity. However, the Black and Latinx creators were originally not included in that description. It makes it incredibly difficult for creators of color to flourish in the fashion industry when they’re never accredited for their work. When the world makes them believe there is no room on the white canvas for some color.

As a collective, we need to put Black designers on the same pedestal as their white counterparts. When their time had come, when they excelled, the world failed to recognize them for

Photographer: Daniel Musherure Stylist/Creative Director: Amina Abdiaziz

their achievements. How many people can say they know of Ann Lowe? The first recognized African American designer who produced magnificent gowns in the 50s. Few people can say they do because she was known as their best-kept secret that they forgot to pass down throughout the generations. We can’t neglect our current Black artists in the same way. People who have shaped the industry such as Dapper Dan who bridges the gap between high fashion and streetwear and Telfar Clemens who creates designer bags that are affordable to everyday people, deserve praise. When we fail to accredit designers like Virgil Abloh, Telfar Clemens, Dapper Dan, and Carly Cushnie, we risk forgetting them. As the fashion world is always innovating, one can only hope that this includes the recognition of people of color going forward as well as in the past.

Models: Jihaan Raghe, Hodan Salat, Daniel Musherure, Aliya Freberg, and Essey Goitom.