Fashion event in Brazil sparked row over racial diversity of models
Latin America’s premier fashion event in Brazil has become mired in a row over racial diversity with critics claiming that too may of the models on the catwalk are white.
Sao Paulo Fashion Week is widely regarded as the continent’s top fashion event and this year has been broadcast live on the internet for this first time.
It showcases Brazilian designers but not many of the models are from Brazil. Top labels this year include Animale, Tufi Duek, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Gloria Coelho, Fernanda Yamamoto and Reinaldo Lorenco.
Chief critic is David Santos, a Franciscan friar who heads Educafro, a lobby group fighting for the labour rights of blacks and indigenous people. He staged a protest show at its headquarters at which activists demanded that blacks’ demographic weight be reflected in all aspects of economic life, including fashion.
Brazil, home to 190 million people, has the world’s second largest black population after Nigeria.
But supporters point out that some of the top models are from Brazil including Gisele Bunchen, Alessandra Ambrosio and Raquel Zimmerman.
But Sao Paulo Fashion Week creative director Paulo Borges rejected charges of discrimination and accused Educafro of trying to use fashion week to publicize its cause. He said that the country should be celebrating creativity and fashion.
In 2009, SPFW was forced to set quotas requiring at least 10% of the models to be of African ancestry or indigenous people. Previously, only a handful of black models featured among the 350 on the catwalk, less than 3%.
Two years ago, the 10% quota for Afro descendants and indigenous people was removed as it was deemed unconstitutional.
Borges said SPFW urges labels attending fashion week to recruit 10% of Afro descendants and indigenous people but cannot force them to do so.
SPFW said it had no information on the percentage of black models appearing at the shows this year.
Santos said that following a complaint by Educafro, federal prosecutors have questioned the use of public funds for the fashion extravaganza. He said federal law stipulates that public funds cannot be used for events or companies that discriminate against blacks.
Educafro said it planned to launch legal action against all fashion houses that do not promote diversity.
SPFW is held twice a year, in January for the winter collection and in June for the summer collection.
