A Model Question

Unlike nineteenth century Orientalist painting, in which the western presence is conspicuous by its absence, in fashion photography, the westerner must be present, in the form of the fashion model, to show off the clothes and to act as the channel through which the spectator is transported into the fashion fantasy.  

The photographs in this post (featuring the Ethiopian model Liya Kebede in Mali for US Vogue, half-Peruvian Helena Christensen in Peru for US Marie Claire, and the Indian model Lakshmi Menon shot in Goa for US Vogue) raise the issue of whether there is a difference between the messages transmitted by images that contain non-white models, and those that do not.  Certainly, using ‘ethnic’ models serves to break down the divide between West and non-West, but is it naïve to argue that the models, and therefore the images are free from an exoticizing, Orientalist gaze because of their ethnicity?

Photo credits

1. ‘India Are We’.  Photograph by Mikael Jansson.  © US Vogue,  May 2009

2. ‘India Are We’.  Photograph by Mikael Jansson. © US Vogue,  May 2009

3.  ‘India Are We’.  Photograph by Mikael Jansson. © US Vogue,  May 2009

4.  ‘India Are We’.  Photograph by Mikael Jansson. © US Vogue,  May 2009

5.  ‘India Are We’.  Photograph by Mikael Jansson. © US Vogue,  May 2009

6.  ‘From Here to Timbuktu’.  Photograph by Mikael Jansson. © US Vogue, June 2008
7. ‘From Here to Timbuktu’.  Photograph by Mikael Jansson. © US Vogue, June 2008
8. ‘From Here to Timbuktu’.  Photograph by Mikael Jansson. © US Vogue, June 2008
9. ‘From Here to Timbuktu’.  Photograph by Mikael Jansson. © US Vogue, June 2008
10. ‘From Here to Timbuktu’.  Photograph by Mikael Jansson. © US Vogue, June 2008
11.  ‘Postcards From Peru.  Photograph by Patrick Demarchelier. © US Marie Claire,   May 1996
12. ‘Postcards From Peru.  Photograph by Patrick Demarchelier. © US Marie Claire,   May 1996
13. ‘Postcards From Peru.  Photograph by Patrick Demarchelier.  US Marie Claire,   May 1996