LISTEN: Bethann Hardison On Advocacy in Fashion
Bethann Hardison turned an early job as a salesperson in New York City's Garment District into a successful career in modeling and agency management. She reflects on her journey on a new episode of "What's Good with Stretch & Bobbito," which aired yesterday (September 12)—the final day of New York Fashion Week.
In the latest #whatsgoodnpr, pioneering model, agent and fashion activist @BethannHardison talks about old Brooklyn, modeling in the historic 1973 Battle of Versailles fashion show and how the garment industry has evolved over the past 50 years. https://t.co/BKeSPjVgdz pic.twitter.com/WPWRV4dGQh
— StretchandBobbito (@StretchandBob) September 12, 2018
Hardison shares stories of her childhood and career alongside reflections on the fashion industry's struggles with racism. For instance, she recalls writing a letter in 2013 that admonished brands for the exclusion of Black and other models of color from runways and campaigns:
I called out, I mean, a lot of people. But never saying that they were racist, just saying that, whether you intend [it] or not, if you continue to use one model of color, or none, for two or seasons [in a row], then the result is racism. And that changed things immediately.
Listen to the episode, which includes a call from Hardison's mentee Tyson Beckford, below: