While the rest of the world grapples with the increasing need for racial diversity and representation amid political upheaval the fashion world has been slow to catch up. Could Gucci be sending a message by casting only models of colour for its pre-fall 2017 campaign?
Since Alessandro Michele took up the creative reins at Gucci at the start of 2015, the luxury Italian fashion giant has become increasingly adept at whipping up interest in campaigns pre-release date. Many fashion houses are finding it increasingly difficult to gain stable footing in the stalling luxury goods sector and gain traction amid more fickle consumers. For some, the only way to get an edge over their competitors for cultural currency is to resort to outlandish or increasingly desperate shock tactics.
However, Gucci seem to have found a way to utilise currently dominant media and social networking platforms like Snapchat and Instagram to drive interest rather than the more traditional model of announcing campaigns. They’ve taken us on a Snapchat tour of a greenhouse to tease the pre-fall 2016 campaign and then had celebrity ambassador Jared Leto doodle ahead of his Guilty fragrance ad. Now, eagle-eyed followers of Gucci on Instagram have noticed that the Italian label has been posting a series of short clips of audition videos for the pre-fall 2017 campaign featuring only black models.
The clips show models answering such questions as, “What’s your spirit animal?” and “What does it mean to have a soul?” or discussing their background in dance. All nine “audition” videos were shot on January 26, 2017 in London, leading to speculation that the pre-fall 2017 campaign will be exclusively cast with black models. Despite no official confirmation from Gucci reps, the concept is already making waves in the fashion industry. According to The Cut, the models were cast by Midland Agency, a progressive company that has helped brands like Eckhaus Latta and Hood by Air find “real people” to walk on their runways as well as starring in their campaigns.
This isn’t the first time Gucci has diversified its modelling cast both in terms of racial diversity and age. Last year, the fashion house cast 79-year-old actress Vanessa Redgrave in its cruise 2017 campaign, defying norms. Elsewhere, it was almost exclusively models of colour that were sent down Zac Posen’s fall 2016 runway. Recently campaigns by Kenzo, Loewe and Alexander McQueen have also shifted to a greater focus on inclusivity versus exclusivity. Mainstream retailers like Urban Outfitters have also cast transgender and plus-size models.
Despite these tentative moves towards greater representation of all races, genders and sizes, the fashion industry has a long way to go. Some of the buzziest fashion shows of the year including Vetements and Balenciaga’s fall 2016 shows failed to include a single person of colour. According to the Fashion Spot’s annual diversity report, out of 438 model castings for the fall 2016 print campaigns, only 23.3 percent were women of colour. Some are heralding Gucci’s move (if it pans out as expected) as a major statement in support of greater diversity and inclusion within the fashion and luxury retail industry while others are skeptical that it’s a trend to capitalise on the buzz around recent political events. We at FIB think that any move towards creating a more social progressive industry should be celebrated.
