Posted on 10/13/2007 6:01:02 PM PDT by blam
Dame Vivienne attacks 'racist' magazines
By Roya Nikkhah
Last Updated: 12:20am BST 14/10/2007
Vivienne Westwood, the founder of punk style who has become the grand dame of British fashion, is no stranger to controversy.
Vivienne Westwood described this Government as 'the most autocratic we have ever had'
She has now turned her fire on the magazine industry calling for a quota of black and ethnic-minority models to be used on front covers.
Describing the fashion industry as "racist", Dame Vivienne singled out magazines as particularly culpable.
Editors, she said, should be "forced" to use a certain proportion of black models even if it hit their circulation.
She recalled a conversation with a fashion magazine editor regarding the use of black models which had shocked her.
"She said that what you always have to have on a magazine cover is a face, that is what sells the magazine, and she told me that you could not put a black person on there because sales halve," she said.
Dame Vivienne said that magazine editors "must" use more black and Asian models if the culture of racial discrimination was to change.
"They have to be prepared to take a drop every now and again and then people would get used to it and think, 'I should buy this magazine because there is a beautiful black girl on it'," she said.
"Naomi Campbell is the most beautiful girl, but how many covers has she had on the big magazines? Not many. It is racist." Dame Vivienne said she hoped to use the Kenyan model, Ajuma Nasanyana, for her next campaign.
Naomi Campbell has been on the cover of Vogue eight times, while Kate Moss has had 24 covers
Campbell recently accused magazines of "sidelining black beauty" and complained that she had not been featured on the cover of British Vogue since 2002. Since her Vogue debut at the age of 17, she has appeared on the front of the magazine eight times. Kate Moss has made 24 cover appearances.
Jo Elvin, the editor of Glamour magazine, said there was "no set agenda to exclude" ethnic-minority models. "There are fewer black women who are big enough stars to sell Glamour," she said.
But Michael Roberts, the fashion director of Vanity Fair, said the industry was ignoring black models. "The industry, for all its airs of sophistication, has insular ideas of beauty," he said.
Claims that the fashion industry is racist have prompted a conference next year to be hosted by Dee Doocey, the Liberal Democrat culture spokesman for the London Assembly.
Dame Vivienne also spoke about her recent decision to abandon Labour and switch allegiance to the Tories. She described the Government as "the most autocratic we have ever had".
"People say you're a rebel, how can you vote Conservative? I believe in democracy and the only way to vote for democracy is to vote against the Government we have now."
She needs more makeup too.
Um, Vivienne, why don’t you just kill yourself so black fashion designers have more opportunity? You racist.
Leftists justify their existance by kicking their own culture in the teeth. It’s their job if you will.
Actually, she’s right. We could do with less drug-addicted pasty-faced bulging-eyeballed sickly White girls on fashion covers and more hot, tanned Asian females. ;-D
“Leftists justify their existance by kicking their own culture in the teeth.”
Excellent.
Bumper sticker/Tshirt/Billboard/Tattoo material there.
You may have a point there. Looking at that picture of “Dame Vivienne” well, you’ve probably heard the old saying about having a dog that looked like that.
“Leftists justify their existance by kicking their own culture in the teeth.”
Excellent.
Bumper sticker/Tshirt/Billboard/Tattoo material there.
Hahaha!
The scumbucket racist has spoken.
There are also plenty of “light” and hot Asian models out there.
It's all about the equality of outcome, as long as people of Dame Vivienne's ilk are more equal than others.
So true. True beauty is not the myth that I grew up with the ideal beauty: blond hair, blue eyes. Real beauties are the multi-ethnic ones, such as actress: Maggie Q, who is Polish-Irish on her fathers side and Vietnamese on her Mothers side. I can relate to her because I am multi-ethnic too./Just Asking - seoul62........
Very, very true. My former fiancee was mixed Asian (Filipina/Chinese), Native American and Scottish/Slavic. Most guys will agree, once you go Asian, you never go back to fully Caucasian...
You got me there. ;-)
I’m just sick to death of seeing Kate Moss on the one billionth fashion cover. I’m sorry, but she’s not attractive, and I can’t recall when she ever was.
Honestly, I agree and not because I feel that certain ‘quotas’ need to be filled. I’m totally bored by the white-bread model crowd and the idea that blondes with blue eyes (and figures of a 12 year old with 38DDs) are the epitome of beauty. I like some imperfection in my beauty. Show me some freckles, an unruly cowlick, or a smile that is a bit crooked but real. I like the ‘exotic’, the Asian, the Brazilian, the Nigerian model. Iman is still a stunningly beautiful woman. Same with Tyra Banks. Every time I see Alex Wek, I study the planes of her face, the angles of her gorgeous, infectious smile.
Bring on some variety. It’s about time.
In all seriousness, magazine covers are purely market-driven. Fashion magazine issues with pretty white girls on the cover sell better, period. But leftists like Westwood hate the market, and want to impose their preferences on it. The impulse to Sovietize in never far from the surface with these people.
I'm gloriously ignorant about show-biz people and "glitteratti." I do however wish they would make a Shoot N' See that looked like George Clooney or Sean Penn.
Whoa. It is Saturday night, she does look a bit wicked. Is this a flashback to Chilly Billy and Chiller Theater?
I may have seen her in the subway.
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