How Tokenism Dominates Fashion Imagery
On an average day, an individual will unknowingly be exposed to 5,000 adverts daily (75 media, 2020). Fashion plays a huge role in modern-day advertising, distributing hundreds of thousands of campaigns yearly, worldwide. The majority of fashion imagery follows an unwritten rule, using white, European models. To appear diverse, brands often feature a single model that does not fit the ‘ideal’ set by the industry. This practice is commonly known as tokenism.
Tokenism applies to any model that does not portray the ‘ideals’ pushed by the western fashion industry. Models who do not fit this rigid standard are often used by fashion brands to appear ‘diverse’ to the consumer. These ideals are usually portrayed as white, euro-centric, slim, and fully-abled bodies. Models of colour, plus-size models, older models, and disabled models are all included when discussing the use of tokenism within fashion marketing. However, in this article, I will be discussing how tokenism is used in fashion advertising regarding the lack of diversity between white and ethnic minority models. I hope to further discuss tokenism regarding age, ability and size in part 2.
Image 1: Gucci’s Pre-Fall 2019 Campaign
According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, the term ‘Tokenism’ refers to; “Actions that are the result of pretending to give an advantage to groups in society who are often treated unfairly, to give the appearance of fairness.” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2020). Fashion imagery has continued to conform to a westernised, Eurocentric ideal, promoted by the media in the West. The majority of campaigns predominantly feature white models but use one or two models of colour infrequently to project the idea of inclusivity. This use of tokenism perpetuates the notion that people of colour can be considered ideals of beauty, but only if they appear alongside their white counterparts. By purposefully choosing to not celebrate or embrace diversity in fashion advertising, it supports the idea that everyone should be aiming for this Eurocentric beauty ideal. This message is extremely damaging to people of colour. It sends the message that they can only be beautiful if they appear ‘white’. By continually being pressured to fit these narrow ideals, low self-esteem, mental health issues, body and eating disorders have become among young men and women of colour.
Image 2: Vogue January 1990 Cover
This blatant use of tokenism dominates fashion imagery, choosing to favour white models over models of colour. The issue is that when a model of colour is featured on a magazine cover or in a fashion campaign, more often than not, they are used by the brand to meet a ‘diversity quota’. Once they have achieved this for the brand, they are dropped, whereas their white counterparts are given more prominent opportunities within the industry.
But what can we do to challenge this use of tokenism? By rejecting whitewashed adverts and catwalks, we can begin to challenge the ‘ideal’ beauty stereotypes pushed by western fashion media. As we start our careers in the fashion industry, it is vital that we question the fashion imagery being pumped out by the industry. The fashion industry will not be diverse until it genuinely and authentically embraces people of all ethnicities instead of using them to meet their ‘diversity quota’.
Below I have linked a few articles further discussing tokenism in the fashion industry and its prevalence in fashion marketing and advertising:
How do we ensure fashion’s diversity drive doesn’t just fetishise the new wave of models? -by Tansy Hoskins for ID: https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/nengmb/how-do-we-ensure-fashions-diversity-drive-doesnt-just-fetishise-the-new-wave-of-models
Is Tokenism Topping Talent? - by Emily Bond for Shift: https://www.shiftlondon.org/features/is-tokenism-topping-talent/
The Fashion Industry Still Has a Diversity Problem - by Saira Mirza for Front Row Edit: https://www.frontrowedit.co.uk/fashion-industry-still-diversity-problem/
Bibliography:
75 Media. (2020) How many ads to you see in a day? {viewed 02/07/2020} url
<https://75media.co.uk/blog/how-many-ads-seen-one-day/#:~:text=We'd%20wager%20not%20many,messages%20on%20a%20daily%20basis.>
Cambridge Dictionary. (2020) Definition of tokenism. [viewed 02/07/2020] url: <https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/tokenism>
Image 1: Glen Luchford. (2019) Gucci Pre Fall 2019 Campaign [viewed 03/07/2020] url: <https://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/11649/gucci-pre-fall-2019-campaign-punks-surfers-bodybuilders-greece-selinunte>
Image 2: Peter Lindburgh. (1990) Vogue January 1990 Cover [viewed 03/07/2020] url: <https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/vogue-magazine-group-cover-archive?image=5d545c0d54bdf8000800cc97>
Editor: Lacey Wint
Comments