Black is Beautiful (and so are Brown, Red, Yellow, Ivory...)

Let me just come right out and say it: The current state of high-end fashion is nothing short of a disaster for women of color. As Guy Trebay declared last October in his article for the New York Times, "When the fashion caravan moved to London, Paris and Milan, the most influential shows — from Prada to Jil Sander to Balenciaga to Chloé and Chanel — made it appear as if someone had hung out a sign reading: No Blacks Need Apply." Strong language, yes, but it's a white-washed world out there right now on the runways and in so many magazines.

Because today's the national celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday (Go ahead, put on Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday" and dance around. I won't tell!), I've been ruminating on the topic of fashion and civil rights. Don't laugh! Fashion, retail, advertising, fashion magazines, fashion blogs: all are part of a multi-billion dollar industry that's really good at sweeping the big issues under the rug. Why talk about the elephant in the room, when you could sip champagne and compare handbags?

But the conversation needs to change. And for anyone who thinks that the fashion industry is unable to deal with the issue of race in a meaningful way, I offer here a group of four women who have broken and continue to break the color barriers. Let's hope that they can inspire the fashion industry to seriously reexamine its portrayal and employment of women of color in the very near future.

My current favorite model - of any color - is Chanel Iman. Yes, that's her real name! Her mother loves all things fashion and wanted her daughter to be a part of the industry when she grew up, so she gave her the first name Chanel and middle name Iman (her last name is Robinson). And her look is absolutely captivating. I love this candid shot of her (at right) backstage at a fashion show, because you can see how her natural beauty is really overwhelming. She's all over the current Allure magazine, so if you want to see more, pick that up.

I'm predicting that Chanel Iman could be the gal to spearhead a bit of a change on the runways in a few weeks, when the Fall 2008 RTW shows begins. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

When I read in Vogue that Alek Wek's inseam is 38.5 inches, it only increased the amount of awe I have for her ethereal beauty. Born in Sudan, Wek broke all the rules: the was too dark-skinned, too "exotic," her hair was way too short. But after being discovered in London (where her family had fled) in 1995, her rise to the top echelons of the fashion world was meteoric. She'll be thirty-one this year, but continues to model and - more importantly - to inspire young women who don't adhere to the blue-eyed, blonde-haired archetype currently seen marching, dead-eyed and seemingly bored to tears, down most runways.

Wek is also inspiring for her work with the U.S. Committee for Refugees' Advisory Council. She continues to give back to her native Sudan and many other African countries. Oh, and I've heard that she has most of her jeans custom-made...those legs go on forever!

I don't know about you, but this fashionista was thrilled to see Veronica Webb back in form as co-host of "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" on Bravo. I always loved her work, but - aside from one spread in Vogue where she showed off her gorgeous home - hadn't seen her for years. Apparently she was doing "important" things like raising a family and devoting her time to multiple charities. Ha. Seriuosly, though, she had taken a major break from the industry.

Back in the day, Webb was the first black woman to land an exclusive major cosmetics contract. She was the face of Revlon for three years and walked all of the major runways. Her forays into journalism have produced mixed results, but she's proven a popular counterpart to Gunn on their show. Gotta say, though, I'm not a fan of her bob. Veronica, bring back the long hair!!

Finally...before there was Iman, before Tyra, before Naomi or Waris or Liya or any of the models above, there was Beverly Johnson. Having already appeared on the covers of Ebony and Essence, in August of 1974, Johnson became the first black woman to land the cover of American Vogue and she never looked back. I mean, look at her! The photo to the left is from 1977 and this woman has a fierce body...and that jawline. Oh my gosh - amazing. Johnson commanded unheard of fees for a black woman at that time and was photographed by all of the major fashion photographers of the 70s and 80s.

Today, she creates and markets a line of wigs and extensions for women of color and continues to inspire young women of all colors to be entrepreneurs. She was honored by Oprah Winfrey as one of her "Legends" and the DCGF couldn't agree more. Oh, and check out any current picture of Johnson to be amazed yet again: she's 55 but doesn't look a day over 40!