Some of us bloggers just love a good debate. We love to serve a regular piece of meat as cold and infested with maggots and samonella because it’s more exciting and gives us more clicks. Things can’t ever just be. The shit-storm began this week when word “leaked” to the blogosphere that long-time, go-to, readers guide for women of color, Essence magazine hired a white Fashion Director.
A slim number of the fashion pundits can even give the white woman who shouldn’t have been considered in the first place a name, let alone run down her qualifications.
Styleite actually put some metal to pedal and checked Ellianna Placas’s LinkedIn profile and *shocker* she’s been there since February. I guess her hard work finally paid off resulting in her receiving an official offer.
Michaela Angela Davis, a prior Fashion Director had some passionate words on the selection.
“I am so so hurt and confused and frankly angry by this news. I feel like a girlfriend has died.” Michaela’s tweets and Facebook comments on the hiring informed many media insiders, and former Essence staff members who had no clue… Michaela says her feelings on the news have much to do with black women’s hostile history with the fashion industry. Further explaining her concerns around the issue, Michaela wrote on Facebook: “It is personal and it’s also professional. If there were balance in the industry; if we didn’t have a history of being ignored and disrespected; if more mainstream fashion media included people of color before the ONE magazine dedicated to black women ‘diversified’, it would feel different.”
Really, all that? I’m a black woman, now entering the 25-29 demographic, who loves magazine and loves fashion. I don’t read Essence. Why? In my opinion, their fashion stories sucked since the recession began. I’ll give you a little taste, [Singer, Ciara in the August 2010 Issue] but if you want to see the rest of the atrocity you have to finish reading at Necole Bitchie.
I’m just not inspired and really have never been. The only section that once excited me in Essence was the beauty and the occasional self-help story. Magazine sales are down, way down and Essence has to be the lowest among people who actually read about fashion. Obviously, the company noticed a problem and are doing what ever it takes to get back on track. I say we give Ellianna Placas a fair chance to prove herself, just as we would if she were a black woman. It’s unfair to discriminate against her just because she’s white. I thought we were a country of change.
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