Is the Fashion Runway Racist?

June 25, 2008— -- When was it decided that beauty meant blond? Or that runway shows were a dull parade of the same bland girl, with the same sad pout?

Since pale and pinched has been the norm on runways and magazines, the fashion industry has been under scrutiny for its obvious lack of ethnic diversity. Reversing that trend is Italian Vogue. Its July issue will feature pictures of only black models, and all accompanying articles will be about black women in the arts and entertainment.

The woman behind this change is Italian Vogue editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani, who, during her time as editor, has made the magazine synonymous with culture over consumerism. Sozzani attributed the inspiration for her July issue to a trip in February to New York City for fashion week. Struck by an absence of diverse faces on the runways, Sozzani told ABCNews.com, "There were no black girls, and the blond girls all look alike."

Sozzani said the lack of diversity in the fashion industry is in marked contrast to other aspects of American culture, particularly the current political scene. "There were no black girls," she said, "but at the same time, people were talking about Obama."

"There is no reason for it beyond blind prejudice," Michael Musto, culture critic for the Village Voice, told ABCNews.com, about the dearth of black models on the runway and in magazines.

To convert her New York-born idea into an Italian reality, Sozzani called upon famed American photographer Steven Meisel, noted for his bold fashion photographs and his pool of celebrity subjects. Meisel is widely known for the 1992 book "Sex," on which he collaborated with Madonna.

To grace the nearly 100 pages allotted for Meisel's photographs, there was the task of casting. The Meisel-Sozzani team called upon new and familiar faces, bringing in modeling legends Iman, Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks, as well as comparative newcomers Jourdan Dunn and Liya Kebe, among others. The issue will hit European newsstands Thursday and will be available in the United States shortly thereafter.