Iman Stands Up For Diversity on The Runway

Iman may have retired from modeling, but she still believes that there should be diversity on the runway. The glowing 58 year-old supermodel partnered with Naomi Campbell and modeling agent, Bethann Hardison, to launch the Balance Diversity Campaign, which urges designers participating in international Fashion Weeks to include African American models in their runway shows.

After a few years away from the fashion industry, Iman was shocked to see how castings had changed. “I was so disheartened that young models were being told by casting agents, ‘Designers are saying they don’t need to see black models this season because it doesn’t fit their aesthetic,’” she told the Associated Press.

Only months after the launch of the Balance Diversity Campaign, Iman has already noticed an improvement in the diversity on runways. “Someone had to say it,” she explained, noting that some designers simply didn’t notice what they were doing. “I’ve always built my business on the idea that I don’t want to go with the flow,” she continued. “I want to create the flow.”