The return of the black supermodel

As suggested previously, I stated US Vogue should follow suit with Italian Vogue and release an all-black issue. Especially since Anna Wintour always mentions 'how the “supermodel” needs to return and replace actors from magazine covers', and most recently 'how ethnicity need to return to the runway'. As one of the most influential fashion magazines why not use their journalist powers for good and use a black (non-actor) model for a cover. Rumor has it Keira Knightley is going to be the cover girl for Vogue’s September issue. Not as disappointing as last year’s cover girl Sienna Miller, but still why say one thing and do another? So I did a bit of research. In 2008, 6 out of 8 covers featured white actors, 2 out of 8 featured white supermodels and then the controversial April issue featured Gisele Bundchen with LeBron James. I miss the days of the supermodel. It seemed so diversified in the 90’s and early 2000 with Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Veronica Webb and Alek Wek ruling the world with their stunning work. This year Liya Kebede is the only black model on Forbes’ Top-Earning Models list and she only placed 11th. Rising star Chanel Iman (a merge of two great names in fashion) seems to be one of our only hopes in the return of the black supermodel. She is only 18 and has appeared on the cover of US Vogue once as one of 'The World's Next Top Models' and has been making a name for herself on runways since 2006.

Renowned photographer Mario Testino reveals the September Vogue cover star: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/the-secret-diary-of-mario-testino-what-the-worlds-most-glamorous-photographer-saw-859682.html

Images: designersla.com, models.com