African-American model Deddeh Howard is on a mission to change the fashion industry, one revolutionary image at a time.
Howard posted photos of herself recreating ad campaigns, such as Kendall Jenner for Calvin Klein, Gigi Hadid for Guess and Kate Moss for David Yurman, in a project she called “Black Mirror.” In the photos, which are posted to her website, she strikes the same pose next to the original ad to highlight the lack of African Americans at the top of the modeling industry.
“My message with the ‘Black Mirror’ is to let the world know that African Americans … women of all shapes and colors are not represented,” she said on “Good Morning America” today. “They are not represented and we need to be given a chance. And when I look at myself in the mirror, that’s what I see: ‘Why not me? Why her?’ If she can do it, I can do it.”
She said the reaction to her project has been “unbelievable.”
“I have had women from all over the world contacting me, sending me messages of being rejected by agencies,” she explained. “It’s just been unbelievable to see real people making this into their movement and standing by me and fighting for diversity. It’s a blessing.”