Hey Guys !
I make it my unofficial job to find the hottest editorials featuring brown beauties, so was instantly intrigued when Chanel Iman tweeted a picture of her in DSquared2’s newest campaign. I clicked on the url, and voila:
I really had to squint my eyes to find her. She was almost unrecognizable, stuck in the back, and looked super pasty and almost colorless. In another picture, she’s standing backwards with only her buttocks exposed:
I know the focus is supposed to be on the spectacularly cut and curvy male models (and the clothes), but what’s up with throwing our dear Chanel in the shade?
Why use a woman of color if you can’t tell she has any?
June 17, 2010 7:30 am
great post thanks for giving this some attention.
i guess this isn’t as bad as jourdan’s “ankle” in a CK ad…. an ankle!
June 17, 2010 8:43 am
Wow. She is completely colorless. Honestly if you wouldn’t have told me she was in these pics I would have bet money that she wasn’t. They are snakes.
June 17, 2010 9:02 am
It looks like they are going for the whole “vampire” theme. You know..they’re pale? Pasty..lookin.. I’m just tryna justify this… I mean…they HAVE to a reason, right?!
June 17, 2010 10:02 am
This whole thing is just…odd. I don’t know if we should call it racist or discriminatory or if we should just call it weird. Either way I don’t get it nor do I like it.
June 17, 2010 12:29 pm
Chanel Iman is a HUGE super model and is used in a majority of campaigns aroundthe world, face showing, and usually thecentre of attention. I do not think this was intentionally racist, although you have taken it as such, it is just a strange avant garde editorial. Don’t sweat it or over analyze it.
June 17, 2010 1:00 pm
Porsche, Noone was saying it was racist, you did.
June 17, 2010 3:33 pm
People who view black models in avant garde editorials and fashion shows have to stop overanalyzing the ideas and concepts.
NOTHING in this campaign is racist. It presents a New Wave/ Futuristic Sexuality that is sitting on display. It has a Peeping Tom twist. Let’s stop being oversensitive and at least have an imagination.
Its not like she is dressed as a Robot Mammy/Pickanannie/Jigaboo character.
Avant Garde is bizarre, twisted, and out of the norm but tells a story behind the garments and photo features. People who call themselves “fashionistas” and “fashion specialists” needs to be more educated on the subject matter at hand and stop playing the racist card.
June 17, 2010 5:11 pm
To Myssbelle and Porsche:
I’d like for your to reread the post I wrote. The title and the words. In any of that, did I ever mention the word racist? Did I accuse Dsquared of racism? (Here’s a clue: I didn’t).
I simply remarked that when I saw the picture, I didn’t notice Chanel at all. Then I left it to you guys to discuss. You could say it’s the lighting, or it’s avant garde, or whatever you like…the response isn’t always to accuse someone of racism.
Perhaps you thought it was racist, or that it was suggested, and projected your thoughts onto me. And then took it a step further and disagreed with what you thought I was implying.
At any rate, please don’t come on my blog and insult me or my knowledge of fashion. I consider myself to be educated on fashion (though I certainly don’t know everything). I am here to present topics I find of interest in an open forum. Hence, my blog.
God bless.
June 17, 2010 5:28 pm
Firstly,
I think Claire is VERY well-versed in fashion… That shouldn’t even have been an issue…
That being said… I do think this particular issue is a lil over-analyzed. In my humble opinion– (being a photographer and pretty well-versed on fashion) myself– I think it’s the lighting. Chanel is not a particularly dark-skinned woman to begin with. The lighting is definitely giving her a lighter “illuminated” look– and it was prolly manipulated that way purposely because of the theme of the shoot. I’ve shot in lighting like this before. I know it can make someone with color look that way. I don’t think it’s anything other than simply that.
June 17, 2010 5:35 pm
I believe it was unintentional however I DID struggle to find Chanel. *kanye shrug*
June 17, 2010 5:37 pm
Claire,
I have read your post
I am a big fan of your blog
My comment was not intended to INSULT you…especially with your experience.
It was directed towards those who are small minded and who are quick to overanalyze
(I knew I should have made this clear right after I left the previous comment)
June 18, 2010 12:37 am
Thank you for your comment, I appreciate it! And everyone!
You’re what make the blog so interesting:)
Much love and thanks for reading.
xx,
C
June 21, 2010 6:22 am
The ad is not about Chanel Iman get over it.
June 23, 2010 3:35 pm
[...] other day, when I noticed Chanel Iman was stuck in the back and barely recognizable in DSquared’s new campaign, I came under considerable heat from commenters. Readers questioned my intelligence, told me I [...]
June 23, 2010 3:49 pm
“Why use a woman of color if you can’t tell she has any?” The purpose of the ad isn’t to show if someone has dark skin color or not. So subliminal if you know what that means you are accusing them of racism your just not using the word racism straight out.
June 30, 2010 5:47 pm
initially, the DSquared2 ad is very cool to me. I like the whole idea of the “peeping tom”. The “peeping tom” is trying to catch a glimpse of the model maybe in an attempt to see them in an intimate moment but instead they are the ones that are actually exposed & nude. It’s ingenious the way they turned the tables…..but when you take a closer look at this ad especially in conjunction with the Prada ad it is a bit unsettling that ANY hard-working model would be cast in the background but, most importantly, that in both ads, they (seemingly) purposefully chose Black models. Why?
July 22, 2010 3:56 am
The comment… “why use a black model if you can’t tell she has any” completly throws me off. A model is a model…used for convey messages through other aspects other than color. Maybe she had a perker butt?? This AD is being over analyzed. But it is unusual that is hidden but…. I’m certain there are other instances like this one involving high profile white models.