Today, there are perhaps more women than ever before wishing to be models and pursuing fashion. This trend is due in part to the ubiquity and influence of reality television on contemporary American culture. Shows like “America’s Next Top Model” offer an enticing glimpse into the world of fashion. Though severely under-represented in the industry, this trend is especially prevalent among black women. Historically a handful of success stories exist, like Tyra Banks, Dorothea Towles and Donyale Luna. Such stories are tangible hope for countless everyday women dreaming of being models, and these women are the focus of this series, Black Girl. Titled after a Lenny Kravitz song that extols black women’s unique beauty and strength, this project fuses fashion, modeling, portraiture, and documentary photography. The approach is artful but not bashful, and confronts issues about beauty, body, sensuality, and race head on. The series may at times seem raw and abrasive, but at heart it aspires to go beyond stereotypical representations and be a hopeful celebration of black women and a validation of their dreams and fantasies.
More environmental portrait than fashion shoot, Black Girl is collaborative and offers a unique glimpse into each woman’s conception of herself, both as a person and a model. Consequently, they are given a voice and the power to decide in what ways they present themselves. After bouncing around ideas, each model develops a look that reflects her personal taste and style. She wears her own clothes, styles her self, and does her own make-up – unless, of course, she chooses not to. The resulting ideas can, in fact, be quite surprising, ranging from overtly sexual or exhibitionistic to grungy and edgy to rather ordinary. Whatever the case, it’s a refreshing departure from the commercialized, cliché, and fantasy-driven fashion we’re inundated with. Location is also paramount. The models are situated indoors in obscure domestic environments or outdoors in urban, i.e. “inner-city”, environments within New York City. Because both they and I live in traditionally inner-city neighborhoods, like Bed-Stuy and Harlem, the location becomes an integral supporting character that adds depth to the models and informs the series socio-economically. Black Girl is powerful and revealing because we witness the diversity and passion of women who, despite being shunned or ignored by the industry, pursue a shared dream undaunted.