Diane Von Furstenberg On Casting Models Of Color: 'If You Tell People It's Cool, They'll Do It'

Designer Diane von Furstenberg talked to The Cut last night about diversity on fashion weeks' runways, saying that employing models of color will catch on eventually. "If you tell people it's cool, they'll do it. Changing human behavior takes a little while," she said.

DvF definitely champions diversity on her catwalks, with 16 of her 43 looks presented by women of color at her last show. She remarked, "I insist [on casting them]. It's my rule, and I always tell my casting agents. That's it! Otherwise, I don't hire them. I send everybody an e-mail right before Fashion Week to remind them to do it."

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Comments

[sweetwhine]

11:35 AM on 03/10/2010

DvF is great designer and a shrewd business woman.

[PoliticalRockChick]

11:42 PM on 03/09/2010

I'm a black woman and I'm not a model, but want to thank you DVF for making a difference. It takes one person.

[T4]

04:04 PM on 03/09/2010

I'm surprised she didn;t say - "some of my brest friends are.." She seems and from that youwould assume thatthefashion industry is somewhere justafter post WWII in their racism. Insisting human behavior is slow to change - give me a break - it's just racism and when they say "women of color" they really mean black.

[Sonkwa Sonkwa]

07:38 PM on 03/09/2010

lol, its ok, she means well and she's right.