In an Instagram post published Thursday, iPad case Marc Jacobs introduced the first image of Willow Bush, a mere 14 years old, as a take the leading role of the designer's Fall/Winter 2015 effort. Clad in goth-like black dresses and sitting on a stool towards a rich, red backdrop, Willow is serious and awe-inspiring.
The actual ad isn't notable just for the dog's visuals. Willow's casting signals an alternative shift by fashion labels that naming black celebrities as spokeswomen this season.
R&B singer Ciara is some star of Roberto Cavalli's Autumn/winter 2015 ads, as of May. Those announcement came shortly after Christian Dior tapped Rihanna to be the face the particular new campaign, becoming the first denims woman to ever represent northface.
Rihanna highlighted the significance of your wife casting, telling MTV, "It's awesome big deal — for me, for an exciting culture, for a lot of young girls, of just about color. " Some might consider that an understatement. Women of fee have long been underrepresented in fashion, from roads to advertisements. As Mic earlier mentioned noted, according to a Jezebel report, models every New York Fashion Week for Get 2014 were 78. 69% refined.
But more women, especially models, are unquestionably speaking out, including veterans Naomi Campbell, Iman and Bethann Hardison, the new model-turned-advocate. The three sent an open traditional to designers in 2013 calling for additionally diversity on the runway — and after that marc by Marc Jacobs iPad was among the manufacturers they called out for not including features like enough models of color.
Tellingly, within the Instagram post about the new Willow Smith image, Jacobs wrote,
"Over the years we have photographed an incredibly a number of and exceptional group of talented classmates and friends and individuals who I greatly love to distraction: Victoria Beckham, Jamie Bochert, Jarvis Cocker, Sofia Coppola, Miley Cyrus, Dakota Fanning, William Eggleston, Jessica Lange, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sophie Malkmus, Samantha Morton, Kate Grass, Charlotte Rampling, Winona Ryder, Stephanie Seymour, Cindy Sherman, Michael Stipe, and Rufus Wainwright, just to identify a few. "
Not a black women on the list — until now. Hopefully Willow, along with Rihanna and Ciara, are merely the start of a major industry shift that's required more than ever.
