A Melbourne label has failed to respect the black power anthem's political charged message, but cultural message is nothing new in fashion. ThIs week the Melbourne fashiin label Misha closed thier Australian fashion week show with models walking to Beyonce's black power anthem formation. Users howled with outrage that none of the models walking the run way were black. Indeed most appeared to be white.
With it's almost war cry-like chorus ("Okay ladies now let's get in formation cause i slay"). Formation is an intensively political track and an affirmation of black womanhood and it's video contains a litany of black cultural and political references including nods to the #BlackLivesMatter movement and 2005's Hurricane Katrina.
In other words, it is not a song to be used lightly or without an awareness of what it signifies - particularly at this point in the cultural conversation. And when you use models that are all cut from the same pale and slender cloth, it becomes an insult to the song that in part, rallies against that very beauty convention ("I like my baby heir with baby hair and afros/ I like my negro nose with jackson five nostrils").
Well.... an indigenious Australian choreographer Amrita Hepi said in a post on facebook addressed to Australian fashion week "If you want to take from all of the subcultures and exoticism of the minorities how's about you at least put them in your shows ? - don't tell me you tried. TRY HARDER!!
No comments:
Post a Comment