There are lots of issues in our world that cause controversies, and plenty of those relate to the fashion industry. Using a younger model to promote women’s clothing, wearing fur, or even smoking a cigarette are all considered to be potentially risky. Donna Karan’s Spring 2012 campaign with Adriana Lima seemed to me pretty normal. But some people noticed something racist in it. Ridiculous!
Adriana Lima looks gorgeous and fierce on images for Donna Karan Spring 2012 ad campaign which was inspired by the designer’s charitable trip to Haiti right after the earthquake that shook the island last year. The controversy arises from one of the three photos where the model poses with two kids on the left. Kids are said to be local Haitians, so their skin is naturally dark. Lima, being Brazilian, has lighter skin. And according to some people the contrast in skin color has clear racist undertones.
One commenter wrote:
Am I the only one getting racist/imperialistic vibes from the s
econd image? I know the inspiration is Haiti but it’s unsettling imo.”
Another commented:
While Adriana looks fierce and maybe a bit too fierce the other people in the picture looks sort of scared. I get from the picture a not so sweet relationships between the white girl and the black people.”
For me all these comments are total nonsense. People just want to find something to nag at. What do you think?
- adriana lima donna karan
- adriana lima racist
- adriana lima afro brazilian
- donna karan adriana lima
- donna karan 2012
- adriana lima japanese
- adriana lima black ancestry
- afro brazilian adriana lima
- Adriana-Lima-Donna-Karan-Spring-2012
- does adriana lima likes black guys
What planet do you “how-is-THAT-racist????”people live on? If we in our age of info have learned anything it should be how to read visuals…
Ms Karan is to blame however, one would question of ALL the shots to choose; why choose this one?
Not being able to read that some, regardless of race, would see this image as a faux pas..is questionable.. Controversy sells baby..
The word Itself (I believe), has had its day from misuse and abuse.. Maybe “culturally insensitive colonial imagery”.. Do you not see an iconic ‘beautiful’ ‘Caucasian’ model sitting across two high wooden stools. while two young Black men sit captive in the back of a truck, lorry, coach or..(whatever it is) it is obscure and far-removed from her place of grace and .. in the dark,,, hmm yeah I guess that is ‘normal’ to some.. neverRRRRmind…
I think the only thing unsettling about this campaign is the fact that in can spark controversy! Go ahead and accuse Donna Karan of lack of creativity, but to even hint a racist issue, in my opinion is just blatantly ridiculous!
In my private photo collection I have amazing shots of the natives of anywhere from Brazil to India, because there’s usually a strong narrative or a straightforward artistic quality in the natives of anywhere in the world. Point is, the Donna Karan-people have obviously deemed these guys to have a picturesque quality, and that’s that. And so what if they knew it would spark “controversy”? In my book it’s a pretty decent marketing move, when you get the social media army to debate something as innocent as this… If anything, my sympathy for the DK brand has improved after this…
All I can say is I love Adriana Lima, she is gorgeous and people should just give her a break!
For both sides for your info. Adriana Lima is Afro Brazilian her ancestors look like the guys in the picture. The majority of BRAZILIANS
ARE DARK SKIN FROM AFRICAN DESCENT OR EVEN LT. SKIN OF AFRICAN DESCENT. THE GUYS IN THE PICTURE COULD VERY WELL BE BRAZILIAN JUST LIKE LIMA. BRAZIL HAS A LARGER BLACK POPULATION THAN U.S. SADLY ALL MOST OTHER COUNTRIES SEE
IS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIGHT SKIN. PLEASE ALL OF YOU FROM BOTH SIDES EDUCATE YOURSELF. ADRIANA LIMA DID AN INTERVIEW WHERE SHE CLASSIFIED HERSELF AS AFRO BRAZILIAN BECAUSE OF HER STRONG AFRICAN ANCESTRY.
Adriana Lima is not light skin because she is Brazilian. Brazilians can be black, white, indigenous even of Japanese descent. Pls, dont equal nationality with skin color. I don´t see anything racist in the ad. By the way, the clothes are BEAUTIFUL.