“The Fashion Industry Should Represent The World We Live In,” Says Stylist Ade Samuel

Stylist Ade Samuel has experienced racism within fashion in more ways than she cares to recount. “It is deeply rooted in our industry in subtle, obscure, and sadly acceptable formats,” she tells British Vogue. But, “like many of my black creative peers, we are resilient, strong and proud to continue to fight and hold our heads up during adversities in the workplace.”

Due to these systematic prejudices, Samuel – who dresses Letitia Wright, Justine Skye and Michael B Jordan – is very selective about who she works with. “It’s super important for me to engage with brands that speak to the values of me and my client,” she says. The recent wave of awareness around the Black Lives Matter movement, after the devastating death of George Floyd, means that more brands are being held accountable for their anti-racist policies. “This is a huge step,” asserts Samuel.

“This culture will not allow for any industry, business or brand to silently not align with the Black Lives Matter movement, which pushes equality across the board.”

Inclusive mission statements are a step forward, but, in the red-carpet fashion forum, brands must “pay attention to the publicist they hire for representation,” says Samuel. As fellow celebrity dresser Zadrian Smith has previously told British Vogue, “There is a certain level of Hollywood that people of colour have never had access to. There is only room at the table for white women, because agents, managers and publicists never invite anyone else to sit with them.” As the gate-keepers of the upper echelons of the entertainment industry – like the Oscar nominees who have the eyes of the world upon them come awards season – it is imperative that publicists give equal opportunities to all. 

“Brands should explore representation in showrooms that are diverse and push an agenda of equal opportunity and visibility,” adds Samuel. “It starts there.”

Inclusive hiring policies are essential to change the narrative. “For years, we have wondered how the fashion industry could become more inclusive, all the while black creatives continued to share their stories through designs, photography, art and fashion,” says Samuel, who started her career as a Teen Vogue fashion assistant in 2010. “We eloquently asked leaders in fashion to review the lack of representation and properly diversify the teams, yet the bare minimum happened. As times are changing, so should fashion. Listen to your staff, listen to the creatives of colour who elevate fashion and edit the old ways of working. The industry should represent the world we live in internally and externally through art.”

Actions speak louder than words. When awards season comes back around, in whatever new format it takes, it will be clear which brands listened to talents like Samuel – who should be talking about their work, but who are currently being asked to talk about their race – and which did not.

Credit: British Vogue