Fashion Advertisements and Complexion

[Jolie]

Re: Fashion Advertisements and Complexion

@Mezhgan

While helping a friend with some research regarding media advertisement, I came across this article from earlier this year:

http://www.firstpost.com/living/blinded-by-the-white-indias-rising-appetite-for-foreign-models-1406003.html

To summarise, the article discusses how many Asian designers and fashion houses use foreign models that can pass as Asian in their fashion shows and bridal wear adverts on account of the light skin preference on the subcontinent.

A photographer friend of mine who works for an Asian bridal magazine mentioned that this is rather common here in the UK as well. Interestingly, the Swedish/Spanish girlfriend of a friend of ours often models for said magazine. She also stated that some casting calls for Asian labels blatantly state that their looking for a white model that “looks Desi.”

The author of the article above discusses how she feels this is dishonest, gives women unrealistic expectations and further fuels the obsession for light skin.

What do you guys think? Do you think the author is right or overreacting?

I haven’t read the article, but the it seems like an overreaction if the writer is talking about magazines like Asiana, Asian Bride etc etc. These are UK based Asian magazine who often intentionally go for Caucasian models for marketing purposes. it’s one of their ways of involving and attracting local Caucasian market and allowing their clothes to have a universal appeal as well as allowing them to maintain the exotic factor. And because they are UK based magazines, they go for local modelling agencies. And truth to be told, coloured women trying to get into these agencies is akin to a sixth form drop-out trying to get into Oxbridge. What is really shocking is that those women aren’t necessarily recognised because of their skin colour, they get denied because of their body types! Unfortunately, not many people know about this type of discrimination and not many people bother to notice as well.

For example, the faces and bodies of Latino models dominates the lingerie industry, but at the same time, these same models who make the men drool and women green with envy are not wanted in high fashion. Some of the biggest fashion houses will rather give 16 year old girl a chance to walk down the runaway than hire a Victoria Secret model.