Bethann Hardison Talks Racism in Fashion: “The White Model Got More”
Bethann Hardison Talks Racism in Fashion: “The White Model Got More”October 23, 2023 at 11:00PMNearly five years ago, in New York City, fashion-industry luminaries congregated at Central Park. The special occasion was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ralph Lauren. Surrounded by porcelain-tile and sandstone pillars, Lauren received a standing ovation from the world’s most famous celebrities: Oprah Winfrey, Robert De Niro, Steven Spielberg, Anna Wintour, Kanye West. One by one, he thanked guests who had formed a line in Bethesda Terrace, shaking hands, smiling, waving, and lightly kissing people on the cheek. Then he saw a gray-haired woman dressed in black near the end of the line. As they embraced, Lauren immediately began to cry while she held his face. That woman was Bethann Hardison, and she is no stranger to the emotion people display at the thought of her impact.“The advertisers…
