Japanese fashion designer Junya Watanabe recently caused an outcry on social media. A few days ago, the designer showcased a new African collection at the Museum of Immigration in Paris. There was one minor problem: there were no actual black models.
Male models walked the runway wearing African-inspired clothing
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The models who wore these wax fabrics and Masai necklaces were all white
High-end designer Junya Watanabe, originally the protégé of Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo, is well known for his avant-garde style. He figures among the most talented designers of our century.
The absence of black models didn’t go unnoticed on social media
“Black culture is popular, black people are not.“
Some men were wearing dreadlock wigs…
… and others, wooden masks and metal spears
Some of these accessories could be offensive to people and insensitive to the dark side of colonialism.
