Why Are We Still Failing Black Models In 2019? - Refinery29

At five foot three inches tall, Vanessa Ohenlen has defied the odds to become a model and influencer. Despite snide remarks about her height on shoots, she graced her first cover, Beauty Papers, in September 2018 and recently starred in FKA twigs' AVANTgarden zine. She tells me about the troubles she has faced in the industry. "Ordinarily when you have issues you should be able to email your agency and let them know of any problems, but when I would email and I would get a reply three days later, they weren’t supportive. I felt as though I wasn’t being pushed. All the white women were being put forward for jobs. It was like they wanted diversity and yet it wasn’t being backed up." She adds: "I did an editorial with another white model from my agency and when the pictures came out our agencies posted the photos, but mine were hidden. I felt as though I wasn’t a priority." The stress has impacted her mental health, she tells me.

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https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/fashion-industry-lack-of-diversity-discrimination

2019-06-02 06:30:00Z
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