Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
There have been plenty of studies performed and articles written about the lack of diversity in fashion, both among designers and models. But Adama Ndiaye decided to do something about it. The Paris-based, Senegal-born designer organized Black Fashion Week, which was held in the City of Lights last weekend.
"Paris Fashion Week is already white," Ndiaye said when asked why she created her event. "We wanted to simply promote beyond African borders designers who are well-known in Africa or in their country but who don't have access to the global market. For the models, the majority of them black, it's also an occasion to get on the catwalk since most of the shows look for more expensive white models."
Though this was the Paris debut of Black Fashion Week, the inaugural BFW was held last year in Prague. Ndiaye is taking her show on the road, with BFWs scheduled for Montreal and Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.
· Paris holds first 'Black Fashion Week' aimed at bringing African talent to a global audience [NYDN]
· What Ikram and Linda Dresner Thought About the Paris Shows [Racked Chicago]