Etro criticised for 'not having a single black influencer' at Milan fashion show

Italian fashion house Etro is facing criticism after appearing to not invite any black influencers to its recent Milan fashion show.

On Wednesday, the designer marked the return to fashion shows with a live audience when it held its spring/summer 2021 show at the Four Seasons in Milan, Italy.

According to Diet Prada, the Instagram account that calls out poor behaviour in the fashion industry, the show was attended by 80 guests, 24 of whom were influencers that were featured on Etro’s Instagram Stories.

However, as pointed out by the Diet Prada Instagram, the influencers invited to the show were primarily white, with only one non-white influencer, Bryan Grey Yambao, in attendance.

“Etro influencer diversity check,” the account captioned a photo showing all of the white influencers that attended the show. “Fashion is getting back to normal after the grinding halt of Covid. Etro's Milan show is the first fashion show with a full audience.

“Around 80 attended, 24 of whom were influencers featured in portraits on Etro’s instagram story. Of those 24, there was only one influencer of colour (@bryanboycom). Several had come to Milan from other parts of Europe, so what’s the excuse for not having a single black influencer?”

According to the account, the brand’s apparent decision not to invite black influencers was in opposition to the diversity seen on the runway, with Veronica Etro telling Vogue Runway the model casting was “as if many different provenances were checking into the hotel, with their unique stories to tell and their wealth of memories and experience to share."

“If brands want to authentically communicate their values of diversity and inclusion, it needs to show at all levels, not just in model casting, which is basically standard now,” Diet Prada continued. “Boardrooms, influencers, guests, and properly acknowledged cultural references are part of a picture that could reflect the diversity of inspirations incorporated into the brand's 'aesthetic'."

In response to the apparent attendance of primarily white influencers, many people, including supermodel Naomi Campbell, called out the brand for the lack of diversity.

“Sick of it, this has to STOP,” Campbell wrote.

Another person commented: “Honestly diversity and inclusion are not rocket science. Why do these brands/people have such a hard time getting it right?!”

“They all look like slightly different versions of the exact same person,” someone else commented.

Diet Prada also noted that the design house has a history of “white-washing,” with its “signature” paisley print originating in Persia and India.

“Paisley has a long design history, with shared roots in many parts of the world, though none of them are Italy,” the Instagram account wrote. “It’s one thing to appreciate the beautiful textiles of cultures the world over, it's another to use them indiscriminately to the point of erasure.”

The Independent has contacted Etro for comment.

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