Written Task 1 – Breaking the Taboo in the Fashion Indutry Tanglin Trust School Candidate Name: Claire Low Student Candidate Number: Language A: Language & Literature Standard Level May 2017 session Word Count: 923
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Embrace You, Celebrate Hue Let’s celebrate color. by Claire Low
Above: Karlie Kloss
Above: Giselle Bünden
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Fashion shows. There is something inspiring in watching models sashay down endlessly long runways clothed in the latest, ‘avant-garde’ designs, elegantly poised in monstrously high heels. Fashion editorials will never cease to wow me with those thousand dollar frocks and purses printed across glossy, sweet scented pages. Lush, bouncy curls in elegant shades of champagne and caramel. Those soft, pouty lips we wish we had without the use of weird, eerie, lip-plumping contraptions. Fair and unblemished complexion as smooth as a baby’s. Tall and lean, almost to the point of Barbie-esque proportions. We are all too familiar with these typical scenes if you are a fashion enthusiast. But if I ask you who comes to mind when thinking of the top supermodels, which names would come to mind? The names Giselle Bündchen and Karlie Kloss are names that have been appearing time and time again in the Media. One would think that diversity is widely celebrated in the modern world, however this statement does not hold true in the fashion world. It is a place where blondes have more fun and dominate the industry. A long established standard of Aphrodite exists in the fashion industry. More often than not, white models often grace the front covers of the most esteemed fashion magazines and strut down the runways for distinguished designers. Last year, according to Forbes’ list of the world’s highest paid models, the first twelve are white, save for Liu Wen (seventh, Asians represent!), with Jourdan Dunn (black) being the thirteenth. Sure, there are more and more Asian faces appearing on the runway, is it this a true celebration of diversity or is it due to the economic power of the Chinese market? But beyond that, could we do with more racial representation? It has become increasingly obvious that there is an ongoing taboo that has yet to be broken.
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Just this year, Jourdan Dunn was revealed to be the first black model to be individually featured on the front cover of British Vogue in twelve years, since Naomi Campbell did in 2002. Being one of the few successful black models in the industry, Jourdan has talked about racism in the fashion industry, agreeing with a journalist that there were so few black models on the runway back in 2008. Chanel Iman has also spoken out, when she explained to The Times (just a mere two years ago) how designers would turn her down simply because they’ve “already found one black girl”. It takes g uts to be so honest, but the industry needs more real people like that. They say facts do not lie. What is it actually telling us? This month at New York Fashion Week, the stats from Jezebel.com shows that 78.69% of the models were white, 7.67% were black, 9.75% were Asian and 2.12% were Latina. This is evidently, although not vast, shows an improvement from the fashion shows at this time six year back, where the stats were 87%, 4.9%, 5.4% and 2.7% respectively. So to whom are we supposed to point fingers towards? Designers and fashion editors usually make the decisions to cast models, and several have been criticized for the sheer number of white models. Some people may say that this is because of the preponderance of white designers, but it goes deeper than that. With the rise of demand for luxury goods from the Asian market, the 4
prevalence of Asian models, too, has grown. Not only does the fashion industry think that white is beautiful, they think that only people from certain racial groups are wealthy enough to afford the luxury.
Should the Media also be blamed for the construct of beauty? Often, we identify ourselves with people we see in magazines. I have gone to magazines and fashion blogs more often than I’ll like to admit for fashion advice, and always went away a little disappointed that there weren’t enough Asian models, or none at all, I could relate to. I would find myself wishing for a sharper nose, or larger eyes instead of my stereotype worthy, Chinese almond ones. There can’t be only one standard of beauty, and I refuse to accept the one that has been so meticulously crafted by the fashion industry. Different eras and countries celebrate different body types. During the Tang Dynasty, the Chinese loved pale, curvy women while in Egypt, tanned, slender and flat-chested women were considered beautiful. So why should we yearn to follow the one standard of beauty the industry has created in order to feel good in our own skin today? And why should we narrow-mindedly only appreciate that western body ideal the fashion industry worships? 5
Fashion is an industry where money talks. Perhaps one day, girls (ang guys alike if you are reading!) don’t follow the western ideal of beauty to be considered gorgeous or to feel beautiful, we can initiate a big wave of change. And what about inner beauty? Embrace your own, and then work it. Even though yes, most of the time people judge books by their covers, but also remember that what’s inside matters. I always believe that confidence is the key to attractiveness, and a dazzling smile is the best make up you could ever wear. But till then, I’m going to tell you the bad news. This problem can’t possibly be solved overnight. There needs to be a major change in attitude towards racial representation in the fashion industry. I guess till then, the blondes will continue to dominate. But that does not stop you from having fun. Read More: Jourdan Dunn Speaks out about Racial Discrimination New York Fashion Week Recap
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Rationale This written task corresponds with Part One: Language in a Cultural Context as it associates with the conflict between the different race groups. Conflict here has arisen because there is a lack of racial representation in the fashion industry; the varying attitudes of the industry towards different races as well as white models often gracing the front covers of the most esteemed fashion magazines, strutting down the runways for distinguished designers. Most think that diversity is widely celebrated in the modern times, however this statement does not hold true in the fashion world. Writing an article in the style of a magazine editor from Teen Vogue, it provided the appropriate register for this topic. “Teen Vogue” has been specifically chosen due to it being an online platform which focuses on fashion and celebrities; informing teenagers on stories regarding current issues and events. By emulating the style of a “Teen Vogue” article, it sets a colloquial and opinionated register. Rhetorical questions, humor, irony, juxtaposition, hyperbole, similes, asyndeton and short paragraphs have been used to entertain, inform and engage the audience in a humorous yet factual manner. A discussion forum has also been embedded in order to emphasize the ironic nature of my piece. This added to a more colloquial discussion and allowed for the underlining of certain points. Sophisticated diction Choosing an online text type format, it adhered to conventions such as writing in short paragraphs across the page and not columns. Additionally, hyperlinks and images have been embedded in the article was used to make reference to arguments made in previously published articles, only possible in website articles. Comment section allows for interaction between the writer and the readers. Furthermore, it brings the reader to other related pieces and helps to educate them further on the subject at hand. Words: 297
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Works Cited Dries, Kate. "New York Fashion Week: Diversity Talks But White Faces Walk." Jezebel. 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 14 June 2015. Freeman, Hadley. "Why Black Models Are Rarely in Fashion." The Guardian. 18 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 May 2015. Hoskins, Tansy. "Does Lack of Black Models on Cover of British Vogue Amount to Racism?" The Guardian. 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 14 June 2015. Robehmed, Natalie. "The World's Highest-Paid Models 2014." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 17 Mar. 2015. Web. 14 June 2015. Yang, Eugene. "Women's Ideal Body Types Throughout History." BuzzFeed. 27 Jan. 2015. Web. 14 June 2015.
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