Chanel Iman for the London Times
The fashion industry has token models like ming xi, alek wek, who even then don’t get hired as much as compared to other white models who are successful as they are. Moreover, models of color have to be near-perfect for modeling agencies to even hire them, and when they are hired it’s almost always for a “tribal” look, a spread in the magazine among tree/nature/flowers the “exotic” look, the wilderness look, or the face paint/body paint, where they essentially function as a canvas for designers, mostly white, they’re painted on and often their looks are exaggerated to the point that they don’t even look like themselves. This, I’m leaving out a lot of other details, is the reality of models in the fashion industry. Most designers have one or two models for the diversity, and to essentially escape criticism.
What I will add, however, is that asian models ming xi/fei fei sun/et al. are favored over models like alek wek and ajak deng, if you have light skin and look “western” enough you’ll be accepted (not as much as the white models, but more than the models with dark skin). refer to raf simons for dior if you would like to fact check this.