‘I don’t get it, beauty is universal’: Estee Lauder model Joan Smalls opens up about racism in fashion as she poses for cover of Elle

Joan Smalls, the first black model to be  signed as the face of Estee Lauder, has spoken out about racism in the fashion  industry.

Posing on the cover of Elle magazine’s January issue, the  25-year-old Puerto Rico native, who is currently ranked the world’s number one  model by the influential site Models.com, speaks candidly about the industry’s  lack of diversity.

‘There are people in the industry who are advocates, who support diversity. And there are people who do not. I  don’t get  it. Beauty is universal. These doors have to open,’ she said.

Joan Smalls, the first black model to be signed as the face of Estee Lauder, has spoken out about racism in the fashion industryJoan Smalls, the first black model to be signed as the  face of Estee Lauder, has spoken out about racism in the fashion  industry

 

Despite Miss Smalls’ own success, she  admits that ethnic and racial  diversity in  the fashion industry is still ‘challenging’.

‘People hide behind the word aesthetic. They  say, “Well, it’s just that designer’s aesthetic.” But when you see  18 seasons  in a row and not one single model outside a certain skin  color…?’ she  explained.

Miss Smalls isn’t the first to vocalize her  disdain at the industry’s narrow beauty standards. Chanel Iman, a Victoria’s  Secret Angel and Vogue regular revealed that she is often turned away by casting  agents and designers who ‘already have one black girl’ for the job.

Posing on the cover of Elle magazine's January issue, the 25-year-old Puerto Rico native, who is currently ranked the world's number one model by the industry's influential news site Models.com, speaks candidly about the industry's lack of diversityPosing on the cover of Elle magazine’s January issue,  the 25-year-old Puerto Rico native speaks candidly about the industry’s lack of  diversity

 

'There are people in the industry who are advocates, who support diversity. And there are people who do not. I don¿t get it. Beauty is universal. These doors have to open,' she said‘There are people in the industry who are advocates, who  support diversity. And there are people who do not. I don¿t get it. Beauty is  universal. These doors have to open,’ she said

 

The 23-year-old American, who has walked the  runway for the likes of Balenciaga, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, and Stella  McCartney, said racism was still an issue in fashion, telling London’s The Times  in March: ‘A few times I got excused by designers who told me, “We already found  one black girl. We don’t need you any more.” I felt very discouraged.

‘When someone tells you, “We don’t want you  because we already have one of your kind,” it’s really sad,’ she said, adding:  ‘There needs to be a permanency [about] using black models. You still see  all-white shows in Europe and New York.’

London-born Jourdan Dunn, 23, also recently  admitted that her skin color has lost her  jobs. ‘I’m normally told I’m cancelled  because I’m “coloured,”‘ she tweeted in July.

And in September, Victoria Beckham was  accused of ignoring ‘models of color’ by Iman and Naomi Campbell.

Despite Miss Smalls' own success, along with fellow models Chanel Iman and Jourdan Dunn, ranked 29th on Models.com, she admits that ethnic and racial diversity in the fashion industry is still 'challenging'Despite Miss Smalls’ own success, she admits that facing  ethnic and racial diversity in the fashion industry is still  ‘challenging’

The former Spice Girl featured twice on a list of designers compiled by the supermodel duo who  they claim are ‘guilty of  this racist act’.

Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Chanel, Armani,  Gucci, Saint Laurent, Roberto Cavalli and Marc by Marc Jacobs were also  listed.

Despite the challenges that Miss Smalls faced  when she first arrived in New York ‘with a dream’ to do ‘great  things,’ there is no doubt she has  overcome those hurdles.

Estee Lauder’s senior vice president and  global creative director, Richard Ferretti, told  Elle: ‘The word supermodel is overused, but if there is any woman of our  generation who  deserves the title, it’s Joan. She has the perfect  face.’

Read more: DailyMail

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