Australian brand Misha Collection concluded its Resort 2017 fashion show with Beyoncé’s "Formation." But there was one huge problem: Every single model featured on the runway appeared to be white. Every. Single. One.
The decision to use the politically charged song, which has been called a "rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter Movement," sparked outrage on Instagram after IMG Models posted a video of the show’s final moments. Only a short time after, people began to hit up the comment section to express just how insulted they were, as pointed out by Yahoo News.
"Why are they walking to 'Formation'? Not one black model or POC in sight. Tried it," one user wrote.
"Vomit, white people belittling the meaning behind 'Formation,'" wrote another.
Others pointed out that this was another case to highlight the lack of diversity in the fashion industry—a longstanding problem that many insiders are trying to remedy. According to The Fashion Spot’s Spring 2016 diversity report, 78 percent of the models featured in fashion ads were white, which was a 7 percent decrease from Fall 2015. Though the numbers are showing some improvement, it’s clear that the fashion world still has a long way to go.
