Surely you would imagine that after all the talk in the last year about the lack of colour on the runways, and with Italian Vogue putting out their big-selling 'all black' issue this summer, that the runways for Milan Fashion Week would be more colourful.Alas ... not.According to our friends at Shophound who have been following the shows in Milan (though not actually there covering as they did for NY Fashion Week), the numbers have been disappointing.
The runways at Milan Fashion Week looked kinda like this. See the one black spot?
Bottega Veneta led the way with a 17% 'diversity quotient' consisting of four black models and one Asian out of 28 total models.After that, it's all single-digit DQs. Depressing.Way behind, was D&G, with four models of colour - three black models and one South Asian model out of 51 models in total, to have a DQ of 8.9 %.DSquared had a DQ of 9.6% for having 2 models of colour - one black, one Asian, out of 21 models.Gucci, which just signed Rihanna to be their spokesperson in their first ever UNICEF campaign, had a measly DQ of 4 % which represented a whopping one model of colour, out of 25.It infuriates me how so many of these luxury brands are willing to ride on the popularity and influence of black celebrities and of hip-hop culture in particular which has glorified and glamorised them but then people of colour are not good enough for their campaigns. We market them and push them but there is hardly any reciprocity and it's not right.
Well it's about time...According to Women's Wear Daily, the super-fly islandista is set to launch her own clothing line. It has been hinted at for a while, but she confirmed it three days ago in an interview with WWD at the Gucci show, during Milan Fashion Week.
(photo credit: Wire Image)
Rihanna is set to follow in the footsteps of fellow pop star Gwen Stefani and launch her own clothing range. The Disturbia singer, who is a frequent front-row guest at runway shows, has confirmed she is working on her own designs. The sexy star has already dabbled in the accessories industry - she put her name to a range of umbrellas earlier this year (08) to coincide with her international hit of the same name. She tells fashion publication WWD, “I can’t say when it will be released, but it’s definitely going to happen. I’m not one to rush into anything. I want to take my time.” Earlier this year (08), Rihanna hinted she was pondering a fashion line, saying, “There might be a clothing line on the horizon, maybe underwear.” The star has also previously teamed up with retail chain H+M to design a range of casualwear as part of the Fashion Against Aids campaign.
We say 'about time' because though there are many, many, many, good-lord-too-many celebs who have their own clothing lines, there are very few who actually have an actually interesting and individual sense of style. Rihanna is one of the few. Gwen Stefani is another. We would actually like to see a clothing line from Rihanna because we think it would definitely have its own identity, unlike so many of these celeb design labels.In other news, let's welcome back Spanish-Caribbean islandista Jenny from the block. After giving birth to twins earlier this year, J.Lo was back to her fiercest at the Dolce and Gabban show in a lawdamercy white dress by the designers.
Dammit man. That is not even fair. To the gym we go...
