Two black street style photographers have claimed that white model Anastasiya Zayika was racist towards them at London Fashion Week.
On the fourth day of London Fashion Week, outside of the Erdem show at the National Portrait Gallery, Zayika was photographed by at least two photographers, Abdiwali Samatar and David Nyanzi.
Both men later took to their social media platforms to accuse the model of racism. They stated that, when they asked for her Instagram tag (which is usual practice between photographers and their street style subjects) they say she responded, 'I don't give my Instagram to black people.'
[instagram ]https://www.instagram.com/p/BfZGj9inAb6/?taken-by=...r[/instagram]
Both men say that she happily gave her tag to non-black photographers that were taking pictures of her.
The social media posts about the alleged incident have now attracted a lot of attention, with many sharing the accounts on their own social media platforms.
However, the accused model has denied the claims, in a now-deleted Instagram post (her entire page has gone).
Under a picture of the word racism crossed out, she vehemently refuted the accusation, calling it - and the subsequent abuse from others - character assassination. She explained that she did not have a 'racist bone' in her body.
She described the encounter in her own words: 'A photographer, during London fashion week had taken my picture and asked to have my Instagram name, I politely explained to him my Instagram is private and I rather not disclose it.'
She concluded that she could not fathom why they would lie, suggesting their motives could be to further their own careers through increased profiles.
Another model has also been receiving criticism because she has the same name as Zayika and has been mistaken for the model. One of the photographers has asked users to stop attacking her.
Whether these claims are true or not, abuse and death threats are never the answer: conversation and reflection is what is needed in a situation like this.
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
