Racial Diversity On The Runway

What do we mean by 'diversity'? Owing to the fact that one of the most crucial movements in fashion is diversity, one would think it was a good sign that the current trend for Spring/Summer 2016 is 'diversity'. However this is not just diversity through model castings; this is diversity shown through shapes and silhouettes. With Olivier Rousteing at Balmain celebrating curves and the Paris Fashion Week Board officially banning super-skinny models, it seems like there has been rather a re-definition of the word. Perhaps this is a cunning diversion away from the serious issue of ethnic diversity that the industry fails to take responsibility for at present.

According to The Business of Fashion's Spring/Summer 2016 diversity report, an astonishing 79% of runway models used this season were white. Why not more models of colour?
Designers such as Victoria Beckham and Francisco Costa at Calvin Klein have been criticised season after season for casting an array of very angry super-skinny looking models, and even more surprisingly they are all white. Probably the most disparagement went to the house of Valentino. Despite producing a collection solely inspired by Africa, Valentino made use of entirely white models in cornrows and tribalized prints, showing an intense lack of respect towards the African communities and instead generalising their country to fit in with Valentino's now seemingly profane aesthetic.

Saying this, there are a minority of designers who are encouraging the influx of more diverse model selections. For example: Tom Ford, Riccardo Tisci and Christopher Bailey for Burberry. Supermodels such as Naomi Campbell, Iman and Jourdan Dunn have all been campaigning on the issue and thanks to them, in recent years, we have seen a fairly modest surge in racial diversity across the industry.

Jourdan Dunn and Naomi Campbell for Burberry

I believe that it is vital that the industry does not dismiss the austere nature of this problem. As much as we continue to encourage the use of other minorities throughout the industry, it still does not seem to conquer the face of discrimination from employers. In my opinion, I think that if we continue to voice our opinions perhaps the fashion industry will stop turning a blind-eye to the real problems and face the situation head-on.  

Picture Courtesy: www.Dazeddigital.com  & www.style.com

Céline Spring/Summer 2016

As expected with a Céline collection, it never fails to let us down. This season was a retrospective of everything we love about Phoebe Philo (creative director for the house). She is able to create clothes that women actually want to wear and could wear (despite the price tag). Asserting the idea that clothes can be easily adaptable to the way women want to live their lives, instead of feeling victimised by fashion.
However today, Philo played more with the ideas of femininity, gently moving away from minimalism with the introduction to prints and a wider array of fabrics.
Femininity through the more accentuated silhouettes and voluminous dimensions- crepe trousers and puffed up shoulders; cinched in waists and severely sartorial structures.

We saw pieces that we would have never of dreamt of seeing at a Céline show. Take the silk slip dresses that have deemed rather popular this season,(seen at Givenchy, Burberry and Calvin Klein)which had lace details that carefully drew attention to the female form. Or perhaps that deconstructed moss green overcoat which Philo re-worked, offering us a confliction between the cinched-in elasticated waist and the boxy, masculinised shoulders.

 

 

Lace silk slip dresses

 



 

Morphed shapes in moss green

 



My favourite looks were the leather tunics that sat over asymmetrical jersey dresses, they just screamed aggression yet downplayed by the fluidity of delicate fabrics. Almost resembling a suit of armour.

 

Leather tunics implied powerful futurism

Also Céline is generally well known for its rather grandiose array of accessories, in particular bags. From the phantom tote to the trapeze, these bags are pure dreams. This season exhibited a brand new selection: pillow bags, the box clutch and those auburn bucket bags.(literally to die for)

 Pillow bag

 

Violet Crocodile box-clutch

Amidst this perfectly conveyed notion of masculine vs feminine, we also had this portrayal of almost quite a pertinent futuristic 'urbanista' as one now calls it. A woman of the utmost class and dignity, who believes only in a non-mainstream and alternative way of dressing. Someone who can easily adapt their style to their surroundings, as it were. Definitely open for interpretation.

For me, Phoebe Philo remains one of my favourite designers. Her visions are simple, raw and dynamic. Season after season she brings us more than just clothing collections, they are art installations.

Please Note: I do not own any of these images, courtesy of Vogue.com