Rick Owens Paris Fashion Week angry models: Fellow member of black women's step squad says 'ugly' faces were forced

When Rick Owens held his Paris Fashion Week show featuring "angry models," most of whom were black, he was hailed every bit a genius by many for his Bound 2014 runway presentation. But some saw the menacing scowls on the black women who modeled his collection as a stereotyping affront to African-Americans, and a weak effort at way diverseness. Now, one of the blackness women who danced in Owens' industrial chic-meets-athletic garb showcase is speaking out. And she says the "angry" faces were forced on them.

"It was a struggle, certainly," evidence performer Arin Lawrence explained to Buzzfeed.  "Nosotros were all told, y'all accept to make these faces. To be honest, it was i of the most frustrating things considering equally step teams, nosotros simply don't make 'grit faces,'" as they are chosen within the stride trip the light fantastic toe community. "It'due south non that nosotros're skipping around wide-eyed and smiling, because there's a serious element to stepping. It's not meant to be lightheaded, and non to exist taken every bit a joke. Simply, again, nosotros're not aroused and we're not trying to scare people in the audience or anything like that, so constant and consistent force per unit area to brand weird faces was tough."

Enthralled by "anger"?

Many media outlets were enthralled past the "anger" they believed the models presented, and were actually mistaken about the dancers' intent — to bear witness power, non rage.

"I think it can exist hard to express that sentiment in a way that doesn't look angry considering it's not supposed to be nigh anger," Lawrence said.

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Ultimately, Lawrence herself asserted that the faces were "ugly" in the Buzzfeed piece, confirming the belief held by many: far from being a celebratory inclusion of black beauty for the sake of positive diverseness, Owens' use of these African-American women was more complex.

The decision to send African-American women stomping downwards a Paris catwalk with nostril-flaring scowls likely fed the "angry blackness woman" stereotype for many, an paradigm so prevalent information technology has even been applied to first lady Michelle Obama, widely recognized every bit 1 of the world'south more elegant women.

"When black women are portrayed as overly agitated, ferocious, unkempt, or animalistic," wrote Amanda Williams about Owens' show on theGrio, "it is an affront to black dazzler. Similar all women, blackness women want to feel happy, sexy, alluring, maintained, elegant and beautiful: all the ways white women are portrayed in contemporary mode photo and runway productions." If black women could consistently receive that portrayal, that would exist truly satisfying manner variety.

Owens orders black women to be "roughshod"

While Owens' team allegedly insisted that the footstep dancers make "barbarous" faces, it is clear that during the functioning many of the women refused. "I think some people at a certain point were like, I'chiliad just not doing this. And y'all can see that in some of the pictures," Lawrence confirmed.

From Owens' perspective, he told award-winning style journalist Robin Givhan regarding the human activity of stepping: "I was attracted to how gritty it was, information technology was such a f**k-you to conventional beauty. They were saying, 'We're cute in our ain way.'"

For Lawrence, the end result may take been controversial, just she is still happy that this African-American dance form was able to accomplish a wider audition.

"I can't speak for all 40 of us, just for us Soul Steppers," she said of the trip the light fantastic group of which she is a part, "we did the prove because nosotros believe in the power of step. We all felt that this was a huge opportunity for it to exist presented on the earth stage in an unconventional way, and just to widen the telescopic of anyone who sees and hears virtually it."

Ongoing boxing for diversity

Diverseness in fashion is currently a hot button issue. Owens' use of larger, African-American women dancing with straggling hair, rolling eyes, and aggressive "grit" faces at this time instead of black models certainly sparked greater interest in this context.

Mode industry legend and activist Bethann Hardison recently sent letters to the major fashion governing bodies of the world calling for more models of color to be included in important roles in the industry. While her call to activeness has received widespread coverage, the response of the style world has been varied, with some leaders agreeing to meet with Hardison on the issue.

Follow Alexis Garrett Stodghill on Twitter at @lexisb.