Africa's Fashion Set Sneers At 'Negroid' Supermodel
Jon / Back41More
From the Times of London
March 1 1998 AFRICA
Africa's fashion set sneers at 'negroid' supermodel
SHE is adored by the fashion houses of Paris, London and Milan. But Alek
Wek, 20, a 6ft supermodel who was brought up in a mud hut with the Dinka
tribe in war-torn Sudan, has been criticised by Africans: they say she
simply is not beautiful, writes Andrew Malone.
In articles in newspapers and women's magazines last week, Wek's "negroid"
lips, nose and figure were hotly debated by African fashion editors, who
claimed she represented an outdated notion of black beauty.
They condemned the white-dominated fashion industry for promoting what was
said to be a view of black women drawn from colonial literature, depicting
them as thick-set. Africans believe lighter-skinned women with delicate
features are in vogue.
"Many black women do not find Alek attractive," said Nakedi Ribane, fashion
editor of Ebony South Africa magazine. "She is just a face imposed on blacks
to make them think that here is someone they can identify with."
Paola Devito, director of Boss Models in South Africa, agreed. "I don't
personally think she is beautiful," she said. "The fashion industry is not
looking for beauty but rather to shock and be noticed - and Alek has done
that." Some black men were also dismissive. "I would not be seen dead next
to her," said Romeo Khumalo, a South African presenter of fashion
programmes. "She looks more like a peasant than a supermodel."
C-mod
Jon / Back41More wrote in message
>Paola Devito, director of Boss Models in South Africa, agreed. "I don't
>personally think she is beautiful," she said. "The fashion industry is not
>looking for beauty but rather to shock and be noticed - and Alek has done
>that." Some black men were also dismissive. "I would not be seen dead next
>to her," said Romeo Khumalo, a South African presenter of fashion
>programmes. "She looks more like a peasant than a supermodel."
Excellent post. This is a testament to the insanity and destruction of mind
that is caused by years of white supremacist domination and colonization.
Africa will take years to cleanse itself of the damage inflicted on them by
whites...the have been alienated from themselves. But, I am sure this view
is not generally accepted by the majority of real Africans.
ram...@geocities.com
In article <6gki6m$it3$1...@hades.csu.net>,
Allah: I think that South Africa is a different case than my home region,
West Africa, but you should not say real Africans. The people who say such
things are sadly deformed by the racist regime there, but they are who they
are. I might add the popularity of skin lighteners among urban women in some
places, like Dakar and Abidjan is a sad statement on how these images effect
us.
Ramira Naka
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
Wayne Johnson
On Fri, 10 Apr 1998 00:39:53 -0700, "C-mod" <cybe...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
>
>Jon / Back41More wrote in message
>>Paola Devito, director of Boss Models in South Africa, agreed. "I don't
>>personally think she is beautiful," she said. "The fashion industry is not
>>looking for beauty but rather to shock and be noticed - and Alek has done
>>that." Some black men were also dismissive. "I would not be seen dead next
>>to her," said Romeo Khumalo, a South African presenter of fashion
>>programmes. "She looks more like a peasant than a supermodel."
>
>Excellent post. This is a testament to the insanity and destruction of mind
>that is caused by years of white supremacist domination and colonization.
>Africa will take years to cleanse itself of the damage inflicted on them by
>whites...the have been alienated from themselves. But, I am sure this view
>is not generally accepted by the majority of real Africans.
Devito is an Italian name. Khumalo is Indian.
Wayne "Damn" Johnson
cia...@ix.netcom.com
Kirt
Wayne Johnson wrote:
>
>
> Devito is an Italian name. Khumalo is Indian.
>
> Wayne "Damn" Johnson
> cia...@ix.netcom.com
Wayne,
What are you damning about? I guess you would have gotten with the
sister. NOT!
Kirt
Wayne Johnson
Mr Maad
>Wayne Johnson wrote:
>>
>>
>> Devito is an Italian name. Khumalo is Indian.
Johnson, of course, is an Anglo-Saxon name. (LOL)
Mr Maad
Africans of the continent and the diaspora are so depressingly alienated from
themselves. These South African reactions to Alek's stunning beauty are so much
like "black" bourgeosie reactions to the fact ot Ebonics. Assimilation is an
illusion.......will we ever learn?
ram...@geocities.com
In article <199804111657...@ladder03.news.aol.com>,
You might first learn not to speak for 'the continent.' Nous sommes assez
different frere. South Africa has serious cultural issues not so different in
many ways from the United States. But that is not the situation all through.
Bongani
On Sat, 11 Apr 1998 07:10:59 GMT, cia...@ix.netcom.com (Wayne Johnson)
wrote:
>Devito is an Italian name. Khumalo is Indian.
>
>Wayne "Damn" Johnson
>cia...@ix.netcom.com
>
Khumalo is Zulu
Bongani
Capones doctor
Jon / Back41More wrote in message <6gk88p$9...@news1.newsguy.com>...
>From the Times of London
>March 1 1998 AFRICA
>
>Africa's fashion set sneers at 'negroid' supermodel
>
>SHE is adored by the fashion houses of Paris, London and Milan. But Alek
>Wek, 20, a 6ft supermodel who was brought up in a mud hut with the Dinka
>tribe in war-torn Sudan, has been criticised by Africans: they say she
>simply is not beautiful, writes Andrew Malone.
>In articles in newspapers and women's magazines last week, Wek's "negroid"
>lips, nose and figure were hotly debated by African fashion editors, who
>claimed she represented an outdated notion of black beauty.
>
>They condemned the white-dominated fashion industry for promoting what was
>said to be a view of black women drawn from colonial literature, depicting
>them as thick-set. Africans believe lighter-skinned women with delicate
>features are in vogue.
>
>"Many black women do not find Alek attractive," said Nakedi Ribane, fashion
>editor of Ebony South Africa magazine. "She is just a face imposed on
blacks
>to make them think that here is someone they can identify with."
>
>Paola Devito, director of Boss Models in South Africa, agreed. "I don't
>personally think she is beautiful," she said. "The fashion industry is not
>looking for beauty but rather to shock and be noticed - and Alek has done
>that." Some black men were also dismissive. "I would not be seen dead next
>to her," said Romeo Khumalo, a South African presenter of fashion
>programmes.
> "She looks more like a peasant than a supermodel."
She looks like an ape.
Bart Luirink
In article <352f1731...@nntp.ix.netcom.com> cia...@ix.netcom.com (Wayne Johnson) writes:
>On Fri, 10 Apr 1998 00:39:53 -0700, "C-mod" <cybe...@hotmail.com>
>wrote:
>>
>>Jon / Back41More wrote in message
>>>Paola Devito, director of Boss Models in South Africa, agreed. "I don't
>>>personally think she is beautiful," she said. "The fashion industry is not
>>>looking for beauty but rather to shock and be noticed - and Alek has done
>>>that." Some black men were also dismissive. "I would not be seen dead next
>>>to her," said Romeo Khumalo, a South African presenter of fashion
>>>programmes. "She looks more like a peasant than a supermodel."
The issue has been debated here in SA. And may people criticised Romeo for his
'colonised' mind.
>>Excellent post. This is a testament to the insanity and destruction of mind
>>that is caused by years of white supremacist domination and colonization.
>>Africa will take years to cleanse itself of the damage inflicted on them by
>>whites...the have been alienated from themselves. But, I am sure this view
>>is not generally accepted by the majority of real Africans.
Whether majority or minority accepts it I do not know. But there are many
people here in SA that find her very attractive. I for one think that she is
stunning. I will not be seen dead next to Romeo Khumalo who needs to read
Frantz Fannon's classic "Black Skin White Masks".
>Devito is an Italian name. Khumalo is Indian.
>Wayne "Damn" Johnson
Devito is Italian (it could be "coloured" in South Africa as well), Khumalo is
a ZULU surname. (Bafana Khmalo, Peggy Khumalo)
Ayaz Ahmed
p.s: Bart Luirink is my house mate