With consumers being overloaded by media, it is no secret that more and more people are looking for and choosing media that directly concerns them. They will find what they need/want socially, emotionally, and psychologically according the Blumer and Katz. While companies like McDonald's and Coca Cola are aiming their ads towards specific groups, it would be obvious that major fashion relators would be doing the same. However, that is not the case. According to The Fashion Spot’s latest diversity report, only 15.5% of ads had non-white models. The report looked at 460 print ads and found that Roberto Cavalli, Kimora Lee Simmons, and Alexis Bittar were the only designers that exclusively had models of color.
The ads are featured below. Bitter used Zoe Kravitz as the face of the campaign while Cavalli featured Ciara. Meanwhile, Simmons used Asian women for her advertisements.
"Peering" into the Future
There is also an Instagram dedicated to models of color called @moremodelsofcolor. It features lesser-known models in hopes of giving them more exposure to make the fashion industry a more diverse place. "All girls, regardless of their ethnic background, have the right to see themselves portrayed in the fashion industry,” the account’s anonymous founders told Dazed & Confused.
Designer Bibhu Mohapatra also has a wise suggestion as to how this diversity problem can be fixed. He says more awareness of this problem can be fixed by the increasing number of international students starting careers in fashion. These students create exposure. Supporting and mentoring them will play a key role in their success. Once their is a more diverse workplace in the industry, it will be reflecting in advertisements.
Representation matters. It is time to stop washing over the whitewashed advertisements that fill up magazines.