Slowly (very slowly) but surely diversity is starting to have its day in the fashion industry.
Gucci is the latest high-end brand to make that direction clear with the release of their newest campaign.
The Italian fashion house has debuted their pre-fall 2017 campaign and to say that the melanin is flourishing in these images would be an understatement.
Drawing much influence from Black youth in the 60s, including England’s Northern Soul movement, the campaign (appropriately titled “Soul Scene”) is also a nod to “Made You Look,” an exhibition that zeroed in on “black masculinity” and “dandyism” at London’s Photographer’s Gallery, according to a release.
Perhaps what’s most refreshing about this move is the flawless use of Black models to celebrate Black culture — and while that seems like an obvious move, we know all too well that seeing Black faces as representatives of Black culture us not always a given. In fact, it’s a notion thats overlooked far too often.
And although representation when it comes to fashion is extremely necessary, we can’t forget that making sure that we stick to the truth is just as instrumental. On top of needing to be seen in the industry, we need to be clear and not blur the lines on where certain styles stem from. We need to be clear about the fact that things like Bantu knots, “Boxer braids,” doorknocker earrings and other expressions unique to the Black community already have a home. This campaign does that by drawing a straight line between inspiration and the people that sparked it.
Aside from the overall cultural wins of this campaign we’d be remiss if we didn’t comment on just how gorgeous it is. The flawless skin, the bold, expressive designs, the models who exemplify Black joy, it’s just all so good.
We think a collective slow clap is in order for photographer and director Glen Luchford and the brand’s creative director Alessandro Michele for a job well done.
