Vogue Magazine’s March’17 issue was meant to be a celebration of diversity and a step in the right direction but unfortunately old habits die hard and the publication only managed to shoot itself in the foot in its attempt.
Fashion can and should use its platform to champion the cause of diversity and shift away from damaging stereotypes instead of perpetuating them.
Vogue Magazine’s March’17 issue was meant to be a celebration of diversity and a step in the right direction but unfortunately old habits die hard and the publication only managed to shoot itself in the foot in its attempt. In a widely criticised cover, the US magazine featured Imaan Hammam, Liu Wen, Ashley Graham, Adwoa Aboah, Vittoria Ceretti, Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner in matching black turtle necks and swimwear bottoms but Graham was the only model whose hand covered her thigh while all others embraced. Not only did Graham’s hand cover her thigh, Hadid’s hand was grotesquely photoshopped in a bid to reach Graham’s stomach to provide the plus sized model extra cover.
There’s another Karlie Kloss as a geisha guffaw in the same issue but we’re not here to talk about the problems in the West’s depiction of diversity, especially when dialogue about diversity in local fashion can hardly be found.
As part of colonial baggage that we still carry, Pakistan and to be fair, the sub-continent as a whole fetishizes the Caucasian standard of beauty. Long limbs, fair complexion, pale features signify what the country prizes as beautiful. No matter that more than half our country doesn’t even remotely fit the bill but people (most women) feel so pressured to even embody a single characteristic that they’ll brave arsenic poisoning for fair skin.
In all this, fashion can and should use its platform to champion the cause of diversity and shift away from damaging stereotypes instead of perpetuating them. The recently concluded New York Fashion Week saw the most number of plus sized models walk the runway. An ex-felon, transgendered models, and a hijabi model all walked the runway this season. Inclusivity seemed to be this season’s favourite trend but came with a promise of sticking around longer than a fad.
Where do local fashion runways rank in this regard? There’s plenty of drama and entertainment but hardly a thought towards diversity or ethnic inclusion. In a country characterized by darker skin tones, you’ll barely see dusky models. The tan models who have managed to make it to the top can literally be listed on the fingers of a single hand. Not only do darker models find it harder to break into the industry, the ones who do often find themselves whitewashed, quite literally. A liberal editing of skin tone will often see the dusky Amna Ilyas, or another other tan model for that matter, looking fair enough to pass for a European, is common practice by brand and photographers.
However, the model, Ilyas herself has managed to break the glass ceiling. In a much appreciated acceptance speech a few years ago, upon winning the Model of the Year award at the LSAs, Ilyas spoke about her travails as a darker model in the industry. She referenced her struggle in being taken seriously due to her skin colour when the irony is that those who turned her down for it would probably fall on the same colour spectrum themselves.
Apart from skin colour, we also seem to lack diversity in our body type representation. All ateliers will make couture in the standard, super skinny and tall size. Ask any stylist and they will tell you that finding clothes in Pakistan for any celebrity who might not be Mehreen Syed skinny can be an ordeal. The profusion of high street retails stores also barely carry articles for petite or plus sized women. At least however, our designers will happily customize a dress for a celebrity with sizing specifications, unlike what has emerged to be the case in several instances abroad (Leslie Jones couldn’t find a designer to dress her for the Ghost Busters premier, anyone?). Ordinary women who might be vertically impaired (read short) or wide hipped though have no such provisions and are made to feel less than adequate on each sartorial venture.
It is also important to point out though that simply appropriating a social movement and using its message to sell your product doesn’t mean you’re supporting the cause or promoting diversity. A recent campaign by a lawn brand aimed to not only use feminist ideology but also cash in on the corporate social responsibility angle by releasing a campaign about self-acceptance and being comfortable in your skin. While the campaign is well intentioned and aims to send a positive message, they’ve managed to commit a similar error as Vogue.
Their campaign features gorgeous women, including the stunning Ilyas, talking about accepting themselves. The slick production and hyped glamour counter the authenticity of the message just as their use of flawless women talking about perfection cannot be imagined to give greater confidence to those struggling with self-esteem issues.
A brand that does well with their adoption of social themes is Generation. Whether it’s the use of real women in their social media campaigns or their yearly breast cancer awareness campaign, the brand has cultivated a sincere image of caring about the message it projects and it pays off in terms of how the audience perceives them. Generation also regularly features Zara Abid as the face of their brand, without photoshopping her to look fair.
However it would be heartening to see other brands also take up the baton and adopt a less commercial minded and more inclusive approach. You don’t have to design a campaign around it and scream it from roof tops but acting upon diversity would have greater impact than making an ad about it. If the girls from Girls at Dhabas only sat around talking about how patriarchy has hijacked public spaces instead of actually going out and engaging with the space and its current occupants, they wouldn’t be able to claim any legitimacy. When it comes to civics and social movements, the action is just as important or impactful as the intent.
Considering how much influence the fashion industry has managed to garner in recent times and the reach it has acquired thanks to social media, it is imperative that we use our position to promote a more diverse and tolerant outlook. It is mentality that might begin superficially but seep into the sub-conscious to produce a tolerant nation, a quality urgently required by our people.
