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White-Washing and Cultural Pick-Pocketing: Token Diversity and Why it’s a Problem
Why is token diversity so problematic? Does it hold a mirror up to the whitewashed walls of high fashion? Or does it actually reveal the failing mechanics behind an industry dominated for too long by white noise, marred by our inability to confront the issues of underrepresentation? In November 2019, Elle Germany faced backlash after its ‘Back to Black’ issue featured a white model on the cover. Complete with the tagline “Models of colour were never in demand as they are now”, the magazine had made a clear misjudgement. By implying that models of colour are somehow a trend, Naomi Campbell called it “highly insulting” in her address to the…
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Transgender representation in fashion
The transgender community is one of many that suffers a lack of representation in the fashion industry. The good news is that times are changing. 2019 saw the first casting of openly transgender model, Valentina Sampaio by industry giant, Victoria’s Secret, just one year after British Vogue featured it’s first transgender woman, Paris Lees in their February 2018 edition. These turning points represent a long-awaited shift in inclusivity of the trans community, but aside from these headline events, how inclusive really is fashion? In honour of LGBTQ+ History Month, Mindless Mag investigates the truth behind the headlines. Times are changing Over the past couple of decades, the fashion industry has…
