T
here are moments in fashion that change
the course of history. Le Grand Divertisse-
ment at the Chateau de Versailles was one
of them. Captured vividly in Deborah Riley Draper’s
2012 documentary, Versailles ’73: American
Runway Revolution, the 1973 fashion show pit-
ted French and American designers against
one another to raise funds for the dilapidated
palace. A then-unprecedented troupe of stunning
Black models—including Bethann Hardison, Pat
Cleveland and Alva Chinn—sashayed, twirled and
strutted the Americans to victory, ushering in a
new era of visibility for models of color.
Nearly a half-century later, Pierpaolo Piccioli’s
Valentino spring 2019 haute couture show conjured a
similar soul-stirring display of fashion as art, with
Black models at the forefront who quite literally
brought the audience to tears. The 65-look collec-
tion, with Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw
Your Face” as a sound track, featured more than 30
models of color, including veterans Liya Kebede, Alek
Wek and Naomi Campbell, who closed the show.
There’s something to be said for how unex-
pected a moment like this is, even in today’s
diversity-focused climate. This makes it all the
more poetic that our inaugural Best in Black
Fashion Awards remains committed to celebrat-
ing our creators of color for 2019 and beyond. »And now, a round of applause for
the nominees and the honorees!BY MARIELLE BOBOValentino’s spring
2019 couture col-
lection featured
more than 30
models of color,
including Alek
Wek, Liya Kebede,
Naomi Campbell
and Adut Akech.BEST IN
BLACK
FASHION
Awards
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IO
S^ K
AM
BO
UR
IS
/G
ET
TY
IM
AG
ES
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ESSENCE.COM I 119 I SEPTEMBER 2019