For the first time in Louis Vuitton’s fashion history, the brand sent a black model down the runway to open it’s show in the New York Fashion Week. This is the first time ever an African American woman – Janaye Furman opened for the brand’s spring 2018 collection in it’s 163 year history.
Nicolas Ghesquière introduced his past meets present-inspired collection with model Janaye Furman, a Southern California drama student whose career began last year after being spotted at a class performance. Tapped by casting director Ashley Brokaw to walk Vuitton’s Fall 2017 show, Furman has become one of the brand’s regular faces in editorials and campaigns.
The prestigious position sets the pace for the girls who follow and often serves as the catalyst that takes a model to the next level of her career.
“What a blessing !! ” Furman wrote in an Instagram post. “Wow! This is such an incredible and unbelievable moment! Not only for my first opening show to be Louis Vuitton but to make history as the first African American girl to open LV?!! Thank you God and everyone for all of the amazing support! I’m so glad more women of color are rocking the runways. It’s so important that we stand up for ourselves and make a difference in this world.”
It’s a depressing reminder that seeing black models opening shows becomes unusual headlines and how out dated the fashion industry is, when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Louis Vuitton’s move to open the show with a black model is reflective of the fashion industry’s push to bring more diversity in race, size, and gender identity to its runways. All the credits are going to brands who are rectifying outdated casting choices, instead of pioneers who have been working to effect those changes.
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