You read so much in the media about the power balance shifting in fashion. For a long time it has been an industry in its own bubble; its own universe with its own rules, so no one has felt empowered to challenge anything. But things are changing.
In just a few short years, social media has helped the industry up its game as models have been given a platform to speak out. The #MeToo movement has given them confidence to be honest about abuses of power without worrying that they will be told to just get on with it. I am one of those outspoken models: I run an online forum and fashion brand called LAPP which empowers the 21st-century girl. I launched it in September 2016 because I felt there wasn’t a platform for women who weren’t professional writers to share their experiences. You don’t have to be an important journalist to have something important to say, nor do you need to have a big number of social media followers in order to be heard.
Women feeling they can use their voice matters more now than ever. After high-profile figures in Hollywood and other industries have called out abuse in their workplaces, women are realising they’re not alone. I’m thankful I’ve never experienced abuse myself, but I know people who have and all I can do is support those who have been affected to speak up.
In recent months, models have been at the vanguard of change: Cameron Russell published shocking anonymous accounts of abuse on her Instagram account and Edie Campbell wrote a piece for WWD lifting the lid on inappropriate industry practices. Not only does this shine a light on abuse and inequality in the industry now, it sets the tone for the younger generation of models coming through – some of whom are still put in compromising situations a long way from home by older, more powerful men.
To make long-lasting differences in modelling, there need to be independent therapists and counsellors, for models to speak to in a safe environment and be protected afterwards. There also need to be changes in legislation, so there is more protection for models through unions that prioritise their mental health.
Fashion can also be a force for good in the way it represents beauty. It may just be about the image but it’s important that it’s a respectful, diverse and representative one, and there have been moments that have really given me hope. I was so proud to be a part of Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty campaign, for example. To see so many diverse models there – Duckie Thot, with her beautiful dark skin; Slick Woods, with her gap tooth and her bald head; Halima Aden, wearing her headscarf – was amazing. I have only once or twice before seen a campaign featuring models with our complexions, as we have never been presented as the norm for western beauty ideals. But the cast Rihanna picked was very reflective of modern society, and that’s who she sells to. People want to know what they are going to feel and look like when they use a product, and previously so many women struggled to find their foundation shade. Brands tried to use the excuse that there wasn’t a market for darker skin tones, but the success of Rihanna’s range has proved this is simply not true.
Another genuine marker of progress was the appointment of Edward Enninful at the helm of British Vogue. He gives so much hope to the younger generation. He’s already brought diversity to the masthead in the form of people like Adwoa Aboah, Naomi Campbell and his new beauty editor-at-large, Pat McGrath, who is such a champion for women of colour.
Having people like this in positions of power not only directly affects the kind of content we see, but also inspires the next generation to see that they can be from a working-class family, as both Pat and Edward are, and get themselves into a position that before was afforded only to middle-class white people, and especially white men. When I was growing up, Dionne from Clueless was my first fashion icon, then Tyra Banks on America’s Next Top Model, but apart from them there was no one I could relate to. It’s great that now people have relatable icons, and can follow their journeys, feel inspired and not give up on their dreams.
