The debate regarding the lack of racial variation in fashion has been going on over many years. Simple questions like “Why are the catwalks so white?” have been asked but never rebutted.

The time for Revolution has finally arrived.

In February 2008, Italian designer Miuccia Prada casted British model Jourdan Dunn to walk in her Fall/Winter 2008 show. As an industry fact, Mrs Prada, as she is sometimes called with affectionate respect, is undoubtedly one of the most influential designers in the industry who has the power to determine a model’s success or failure – in other words, the life or death of a model’s career. It is a simple truth that models whom have graced the Prada runway do do better statistically in the industry than those who have not; yet it is also a simply truth that no black model has strutted the Prada catwalk since Naomi Campbell in 1997… until Ms Dunn came along and rocked the World of Prada with her sultry elegant looks.

Consecutively, in Paris, on the runway for Yves Saint Laurent by Stefano Pilati, the lips of the models were painted glossy black with black hair in a straight sharply-cut bob covering the eyes. The result is a sea of models with a look of anonymity, who appear like unidentifiable mannequins. Ultimately, Mr Pilati’s main reason of doing this is to bring all focus onto the inspirational collection and not let the models steal the limelight. Nonetheless, by doing so, some may ague that to some extent by painting anything black, in particular the lips of a female which is seen as the symbol of sensuality and sexuality, it conceives some sort of dark meaning in terms of racial context in the way that dark lips are an essential part of the image of a black woman, which utterly allures us with her fierce charms and ferocious beauty. Alas, this allows us to appreciate a different kind of beauty, which is in all ways unique and ahead of our times and ultimately very Yves Saint Laurent.

Following this, Franca Sozzani, the editor of Italian Vogue, cast only black models in the controversial ‘all-black’ July issue to be photographed by the legendary Photographer Steven Meisel. The issue featured Iman, Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Jourdan Dunn, Sessilee Lopez, Liya Kebede, Alek Wek, Pat Cleveland, Toccara Jones, Karen Alexander, and more. Ultimately, it demonstrated and celebrated the aesthetics of different race, age and weight in a powerful and influential way that had never been achieved previously.

However, critics have pointed out how the issue’s four covers which feature Liya Kebede, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn and Naomi Campbell makes it seems like none of these models are important enough to be a sole covergirl. Furthermore, it is printed in the worst month of the publishing calendar, as July is traditionally the ‘holiday’ issue with one of the least pages. Nonetheless, the essence of this subject has been tackled: there is room for black models, whom are hired not only because they are black but also because they are unique.

As the French says: “Vive la Différence!”