{"id":41739,"date":"2019-01-29T23:17:14","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T04:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=41739"},"modified":"2019-01-29T23:17:14","modified_gmt":"2019-01-30T04:17:14","slug":"paris-fashion-week-large-and-in-charge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/paris-fashion-week-large-and-in-charge\/","title":{"rendered":"Paris Fashion Week: Large and In Charge"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2013, I blogged about a conversation I’d had with a fashion designer five years prior, when he was planning a runway show. I said that if it were my show, I\u2019d use ONLY black models as a big “fuck you” to the fashion industry\u2019s glaring prejudices<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That designer didn’t take the hint, but last week, I got to see the impact of that kind of casting thanks to Valentino’s haute couture<\/em> runway<\/a>, for which more than 40 of the 65 models were black. The show moved some attendees to tears<\/a>, including Celine Dion<\/a>. British Vogue editor in chief Edward Enninful wrote that it was “Possibly the most emotional show I’ve ever watched.<\/a>” And just look at the expression on model Naomi Campbell’s face in this photo shared by Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli.<\/p>\n

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Naomi & I. 19,03. 23.01.19 Couture is a dream. Although it celebrates uniqueness, which is a synonym for diversity, it has always meant to be for white people. From the Forties, the pioneering magazines Ebony and Jet, have been making a great effort to give black beauty the deserved dignity. Franca published the Black Issue, ten years ago, demonstrating to be a courageous woman and a real visionary. To have a Roman brand represented by Black Beauty goes against all the xenophobia in Italy and, hopefully, all over the world. With this Valentino Haute Couture collection, my hope is to deliver the message, as strong as I can. Change the aesthetic and you change the perception of people more than any slogan. Everyone is allowed to dream, this is the inclusivity of Haute Couture. This is the Haute Couture Naomi and I believe in. @naomi<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Pierpaolo Piccioli<\/a> (@pppiccioli) on