For historical reference, let’s go back to last year, when plus-size model Ashley Graham slammed the show by posting a photoshopped catwalk image of herself wearing the signature angel wings. So it’s clear, she was never cast for it, but her ironic caption helped fuel some heated debates.
Evil tongues in the industry were quick to comment that this was, in fact, the most diverse cast ever. The show included four Asian and five African-American models—this is out of 55, which is about 10%.
This year’s announcement—and kitschy video of angels grabbing their wings and dashing to the show—implied the cast would be more diverse and inclusive.
The reality is that this year 18 new faces have been added to the lineup, and while there are certainly more models of color, it’s far from where it needs to be. That said, Winnie Harlow’s debut, along with fellow beauties Grace Bol and Cheyenne Maya Carty sparks a glimmer of hope that the company is moving the needle in the right direction. In fact, according to all sources, this year a third of the cast will be models of colour (around 38%) and roughly 6% will be Asian.
Tune in on Thursday, November 8th, to see who will walk down the runway.