We just blogged that there was no racial diversity in the world of mannequin’s but just got word that there is in the world of Teen Vogue with the fashion mag featuring Jourdan Dunn and Chanel Iman on their November 2009 cover. The young models even had time to sit down and talk to the magazine about what it was like being two young black models with Dunn talking about her unplanned pregnancy.
“It was really hard,” Dunn said. “All I could think about was what my mom was going to say, my agency, my boyfriend. When I told my mom, she started crying and blaming herself. She got pregnant with me at the same age, and she said, ‘I don’t want you to have to go through what I did.'”
The girls even talked about being two of the most prominent black models working in the industry:
“It’s competition. There aren’t a lot of us, but instead of sticking together, we’re pitted against each other. People will say things in Chanel’s ear like, ‘Jourdan is taking your spot,’ and then they’ll say to me, ‘Don’t trust Chanel.'” Dunn told Teen Vogue.
“I remember last season I was about to go into a casting, and my agent phoned and said, ‘Turn back. They decided they don’t want any black models.’ I was like, ‘They’re actually telling you that’s the reason? Are you serious?!'”
Check out TeenVogue.com for images from the photoshoot and the interview with the girls. The November 2009 issue of Teen Vogue hits newsstands on October 31st, 2009.
