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Black models4/6/2023 ![]() ![]() Entertainment is a woman's world, period. It'll never be a black woman's world, it'll never be a black man's world, it'll never be a Chinese woman's world. How many times have we had a black coalition this or a black fight against this, or a Black Lives Matter in fashion? It's been happening forever it's forever been the same. You're in a role that wasn't made for you so you have to create another one. I would say don't fall into the false story of you because you have to consistently fight. I'm inspired by the amount of respect that Nelson Mandela gets or the way that Morgan Freeman's voice makes you feel. I was inspired by a person like Bayard Rustin who was right-hand man, who never got a chance to have his story get told, who was even more grand than MLK. I never wanted to work in fashion, so I was never inspired by fashion. I'm doing a good job, fortunately, but it's still hard you have to consistently prove yourself every day.Īre they any models that have inspired you along the way? I think that for me, it's hard in general. It's the taboo of being black, albino, and gay. I'm a different person to ask because I've never just had the black aspect of life. ![]() It's hard to say 'cause all I've ever known is this. It's hard for black men to express themselves, but especially in the fashion industry where there's only one style.ĭo you think you would go further in your career if you were another race? It's either you have to be this big, buff, masculine guy like almighty or you just have to be this African alien. I think that being a black male in general inside of the fashion community is a struggle. I think that that was something that people weren't sure how they felt about it. I started modeling because I wanted to dance, and I was introduced to the voguing scene through my cousin, and he used to show up in all these videos, so I started voguing, and then I put up YouTube videos, and I got discovered that way.įor me, it's even worse because when I came on the scene, it was hard to even fathom the fact that I was black but I also wasn't black at the same time. You have to keep going, keep pushing, be very patient, and just know that it'll take time, but the time that it takes is so worth it. It's hard to start and get that first "yes," but once you get that, you'll be on the go. We have our own lane, we have our own path, and we are all succeeding in that way.ĭo you have any advice for any black models? I never thought if I was white, I would have it easier or whatever. I was just "black boy with long hair."ĭo you think that you would go further in your career if you were any other race? When I first started, I was actually described as a black boy with long hair-that's all. I believe there have been a lot of setbacks simply because a lot of designers aren't too open to being too diverse yet. Have you experienced any hindrances or setbacks in your career because of your race?ĭefinitely. My first job was with Beyoncé for the "Pretty Hurts" video. I've danced in Disney World and the Sixers halftime shows. I was waiting for a friend and the president of the agency came out of nowhere and was like, "Hey, you look like you could be a model." I'm a dancer originally. When did you first begin your modeling career? ![]() Here's what they had to say in the gallery, below. To see what the state of the industry is really like, we spoke to 10 black models at different stages in their careers to learn more about their experiences. And let's not forget that breaking into the modeling industry is hard no matter what-and it's long been much more challenging to do so as a person of color. (See: the Karlie Kloss geisha editorial in Vogue's Diversity Issue.) And when it comes to modeling, while there's no doubt we've seen increased representation of a variety of races and ethnicities, there's still a long way to go before achieving anything resembling an accurate reflection of the myriad people out there. #Blacklivesmatter and we hold that truth to be self-evident.ĭiversity is a big word in fashion right now, but it can be hard to tell sometimes just how committed the industry is to making changes. Every day, w e’ll celebrate different aspects of black culture through profiles, interviews, roundtables, reviews, videos, and op-eds. In celebration of Black History Month, NYLON is running a spotlight series called UNAPOLOGETIC. ![]()
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