Could Gucci be preparing to roll out a new campaign featuring a cast of black models? All signs seem to be pointing to yes based on the brand's Instagram account where the team has been teasing clips from its model castings in London.
There they are: nine young, bright-eyed, beautiful, brown youth dancing to vintage R&B music and opining on the meaning of soul. What does it all mean? While the models are all relatively unknown, we're left wanting to know much more.
We've already established dance is having a moment in fashion — and that for too long, diversity wasn't. And while Gucci's runways look refreshingly inclusive under creative director Alessandro Michele, the fashion industry as a whole hasn't necessarily been as consistent. So a campaign centred around black beauty from a brand as powerful as Gucci during a time as racially charged as the age of Trump and populism would make a statement (remember the wave of euphoria, scorn, debate and controversy that surrounded Franca Sozzani's famous Black issue of Vogue Italy?) We're all eyes and ears, Gucci! Here's what we know so far.
There's a vogue fem dancer, whose spirit animal is a tiger
And a woman named Sharifa, who gives us kid 'n' play goals
Abdulaye doing the two-step of life
Akua serving free curls and free kicks
Jonah being the guy we would have totally crushed on as an 18-year-old
Zen serving the twist
Alton twirling on them you know what
Franck!
