Oh Where, Oh Where, Are the Black People in Fashion??

            One day a friend asked me why my walls were decorated with all white women, even though I'm black. At first i was confused as to why their color had any relevance to their status and idols and role models in my eyes; but later as I looked over the faces of Rachel Zoe, Donatella Versace and Coco Chanel, i thought to myself, why are there limited black figures in the fashion industry? and why are the ones that exist not as readily publicized as their white counterparts in the media?
           Being that I am a student of my industry, of course I am aware of black designers such as Tracey Reese, Steven Burrows and B. Michael. But to the general public, black influence in fashion usually goes as far as The Simmons family, Naomi Campbell, Iman and Tyra Banks. All of whom are closely tied and more often then not associated with the hip hop and entertainment role rather than their fashion contributions. Or if like me you have a parent who is subscribed to JET magazine and you irregularly glaze over the designer spotlight section they have on the last page or sometimes catch BET's Rip the Runway and see a few designers who look like you.
          Needless to say the general lack of African American influence in the world of high fashion leaves fashionistas like myself with limited or no role models, or walla void of magazine tare outs with black faces. So in honor of Black History Month and a push for general awareness of all kinds of fashion figures, here's a couple black fashion figures you may or may not (but should) know:
                            *Andre Leon Talley:
Most known for being in the front row of nearly every fashion show and putting on several designers and models such as Tracey Reese and Jason Wu. He is the editor at large for American Vogue. Friend and confidant to many prominent fashion and generally popular figures. he was born in 1949 in Durham, North Carolina, and graduated from the university there (North Caroline Central University). He earned his masters at Brown University in French as also serves as the board of trustees at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). He has also made cameo appearances in Sex and the City and was ranked 45th in 50 Most Powerful Gay Men & Women in America.
                          *Chanel Iman:
Born Chanel Iman Robinson is an up and coming model. She's the most successful and youngest high fashion model of the time. She was born in Dec 1990 in Atlanta, GA. She is half Korean half black. She was discovered at 13 after many meetings with different modeling agencies. She is signed with Ford Models and is an Victorias Secret angel. She first debuted on the runways in 2006 and has done nothing but make moves ever since. Working for top designers such as Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs, Philip Lim, YSL, Givenchy, Micahel Kors, etc. She has been featured in numerous ad campaigns. And is the youngest person to ever grace the cover of American Vogue and the 3rd African American cover girl for the magazine.
                           *Kara Saun:
Since placing in the final 3 in Project Runway, Saun has had amazing success as a designer, costumer, and stylist. She has served as a style expert on shows like Launch My Line, How do I Look and Fashion Team. She got to view her collection "2056" at LA Mercedes - Benz fashion week in fall 2006. She has also designed costumes for countless shows including America's Best Dance Crew, Eve (UPN), The Cheetah Girls, What I Like About You, America's Next Top Model and ABC's True Beauty. Her designs have also been seen on the red carpet. She now has a laundry list of clients such as Queen Latifa, Heidi Klum, Vanessa Williams, Zoe Saldana, Snoop Dog, Chili, Lil Kim and Joy Bryant.