A campaign to promote diversity on the runways during New York's Fashion Week appears to have failed miserably.
In one of the globe's most multicultural cities, the talent in the tents last week was as white as a Vera Wang wedding gown.
A survey by the Daily News revealed that out of 1,584 model slots, 94 went to black mannequins - a paltry 6%.
Latinas accounted for only 17 slots, about 1%, and Asians for 95, or 6%.
Joan Smalls says she missed out on at least one because of the color of her skin.
Elite Model Management
Out of 66 shows in the tents at Bryant Park or the adjacent space in the New York Public Library, 18 designers had no black models, and six of those put on all-white lineups.
"I'm disappointed," supermodel Naomi Campbell told The News when she learned of the findings. "For this to be going on in 2008 is just shocking."
Even more disturbing is that the racial divide persisted despite a high-profile crusade to get designers to diversify their model stables.
Diane Von Furstenburg, president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, sent a letter to designers, agencies and casting directors last month, urging them to craft shows "that are truly multicultural."
She might have expected the industry to at least pay lip service to the directive. Instead, the numbers suggest many designers gave it the kissoff.
A council spokeswoman declined to comment on the survey results but said the group takes the issue "seriously." IMG Models, which produced the shows, said it expects improvement in the future.
But others weren't as blasé.
"We are losing the colors in fashion," said supermodel Tyson Beckford, who was seen applauding the rare black model to strut past him at several shows. "Every season, you notice it's starting to get worse."
He put designers on notice that the whitewash won't be silently tolerated. "We're not afraid to call them out," he said.
Michelle Smith, the designer behind Milly, said she signed up one black model this year - but then had to cut her because she gained some weight.
"I really think it's stemming from the modeling agencies," said Smith, who did book a Latina model. "They're not giving us any people to choose from."
Jill Stuart's show had not one black, Asian or Latina model. CEO Ron Curtis blamed modeling agencies for not sending enough minorities to casting calls.
He said his casting director, who is not white, tried to hire two of the most popular black models, Jourdan Dunn and Liya Kebede. "But they were exclusive to Oscar [de la Renta], whose show follows ours," he complained.
Academy of Art had one Latina and two Asians showcasing its designs, but no blacks. The show's creative director, Roger Padilha, also pointed fingers.
"Of the approximately 450 girls we saw on castings from 16 different agencies, only 12 were African-American," he said.
Vivienne Tam, who had three Asian models out of 35, beat the same drum when asked about the lack of black and Hispanic women at her event. "I'd love to use them but there are not enough," she said.
Neil Hamil, director of Elite North America, said it's so difficult to get designers to book his black models he donated $1,000 to underwrite the industry's next "Absence of Color" town hall forum.
"This Fashion Week I know we had higher hopes to see more of our ethnic talent, but it's been kind of a disappointment," Hamil said.
Ex-model and agent Bethann Hardison, who has been leading the diversity push, thinks there's plenty of blame to go around. "Everybody has a little hand on it," she said.
And the designers' pale palette could translate into more red for the bottom line, industry insiders said.
The chorus of "no ethnic models" from casting directors in the last decade has put fashion into a funk, Hardison said. "It's not exciting anymore. The clothes are great, but the vibe of fashion is so dead."
'They just say ... have a nice day'
Model Joan Smalls hit the catwalk in eight shows last week, but says she missed out on at least one because of the color of her skin.
"There is a certain type of prejudice and you can sense it from certain casting directors, so you're not given that opportunity to go further," Smalls, who is black, told the Daily News.
Without naming names, the 19-year-old New Yorker told how she went to meet a director for a big designer and was summarily turned away.
By chance, Smalls ran into the designer himself in the elevator and he took notice of her classic, sultry beauty. "He actually told me that I was really beautiful and he went up with me toward his offices and introduced me to everybody ... and made sure that they saw me [at the casting call] the following day."
After the designer's intervention, Smalls was invited to the casting call, but the director took a pass on her again.
Smalls, who is represented by Elite Model Management, said the incident was the "most noticeable" case of discrimination in her career.
It may not have been the only time she was rejected because she's black. "They don't give you a reason," she said. "They just say, 'Thank you, have a nice day.'"
Gina Salamone and Tracy Connor
