White Models On Blackface For Fashion Editorials
posted by Maggie's Nest at
11/02/2009 
It seems that blackface is becoming an unlikely trend. Despite the criticism, more cases of white models posing as black people for photo shoots are highly publicized.
It all started with the controversial Lara Stone shoot for French Vogue. The model posed with blackened skin for the magazine's 14-page spread, as photographed by Steven Klein and styled by editor Carine Rotifeld. According to the magazine, the image depicted the white model in her "radical break with the wave of anorexic models." (How anorexia connects with black color? Figure that out.)
Next, contestants of "America's Next Top Model" Cycle 13 posed for bi-racial photo shoots. Following the orders of the great Tyra Banks, the 6 remaining candidates of the reality modeling competition were brought to Hawaii where they were transformed into different races - bleach blonde Erin Wagner was turned "Tibetan and Egyptian," Southern belle Laura Kirkpatrick was transformed into "Mexican and Greek," Korean Jennifer An became "Botswanan and Polynesian," African-American Sundai Love was made into "Moroccan and Russian," redheaded Nicole Fox became "Malagasy and Japanese," and blonde Brittany Markert was colored to look "Native American and East Indian."
Disregarding the criticisms, Tyra Banks might be all-smiles now. She has been making headlines herself for simply turning her models biracial.
And now there's the latest issue of V magazine, featuring Sasha Pivovarova in blackface and Heidi Mount. The image is photographed by Mario Sorrenti and is made possible by makeup artist James Kaliardos. The magazine will hit newsstands tomorrow, November 3.
What do you think of white models posing with blackface for photo shoots?
Is it unfair to the black race, considering that there's lack of employment for black models but the production opt to blackened white models for the job?
Or is it simply fashion photography that highlights the creativity of both models, photographers, and artists behind the blackface makeup technique?
It all started with the controversial Lara Stone shoot for French Vogue. The model posed with blackened skin for the magazine's 14-page spread, as photographed by Steven Klein and styled by editor Carine Rotifeld. According to the magazine, the image depicted the white model in her "radical break with the wave of anorexic models." (How anorexia connects with black color? Figure that out.)
Next, contestants of "America's Next Top Model" Cycle 13 posed for bi-racial photo shoots. Following the orders of the great Tyra Banks, the 6 remaining candidates of the reality modeling competition were brought to Hawaii where they were transformed into different races - bleach blonde Erin Wagner was turned "Tibetan and Egyptian," Southern belle Laura Kirkpatrick was transformed into "Mexican and Greek," Korean Jennifer An became "Botswanan and Polynesian," African-American Sundai Love was made into "Moroccan and Russian," redheaded Nicole Fox became "Malagasy and Japanese," and blonde Brittany Markert was colored to look "Native American and East Indian."
Disregarding the criticisms, Tyra Banks might be all-smiles now. She has been making headlines herself for simply turning her models biracial.
And now there's the latest issue of V magazine, featuring Sasha Pivovarova in blackface and Heidi Mount. The image is photographed by Mario Sorrenti and is made possible by makeup artist James Kaliardos. The magazine will hit newsstands tomorrow, November 3.
What do you think of white models posing with blackface for photo shoots?
Is it unfair to the black race, considering that there's lack of employment for black models but the production opt to blackened white models for the job?
Or is it simply fashion photography that highlights the creativity of both models, photographers, and artists behind the blackface makeup technique?
Labels: Black Models
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Reader's Comments
1 Comments:
Fashion photographer Jerry Avenaim gives this a thumbs up. It's all a technique and nothing more should be made out of it. I don't care for the term 'black face' however...
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