Are Donna Karan’s ‘Haiti’ Ads Racist?

by Justin Fenner | 10:24 am, December 16th, 2011

There has been no shortage of people calling Donna Karan‘s spring ad campaign either racist or racially tinged or racially insensitive, primarily because it was shot in Haiti and features an image of (white Brazilian) model Adriana Lima sitting with with two young (dark skinned) Haitian guys. Not whipping them or smizing them into submission, just sitting, which is about the least racist thing you can do.

Karan shot the ads in the southern Haiti town of Jacmel to bring attention to Haiti’s ongoing recovery from the earthquake that tore its fragile infrastructure asunder in January 2010. Since then, Karan has been one of the most visible members of the fashion community leading the charge to help the country get back on its feet, and we applaud her for using her ad campaign as an opportunity to remind people that the country still needs as much help as it can get.

Is there a better way to do that than to juxtapose the expensive glamour of her clothing with the abject poverty of the Haitian people? Probably, but Karan isn’t racist if that didn’t occur to her (or to her photographer, Russell James). It’s not like she’s using the two young Haitian men as props, the way Vogue Australia did in a shoot featuring (white Australian) model Isabel Lucas and (dark skinned) members of the Bushmen tribe. Karan put Haitians in her ad because she cares about Haiti, not because they look good next to her olive green jumpsuits.

Of course, everything is open to interpretation — and ours is that Karan’s thoughtfulness is being eclipsed by the fashion community’s desire not to be seen as racist. But automatically assuming that an ad is racially motivated just because there are people of different races and circumstances in it is shortsighted. We think these ads are great, and we hope they and Karan’s other work in the country can help make a difference in the lives of the Haitian people who need it the most.

Take a look at the ads below and tell us what you think about them in the comments. You can read more about what Karan’s Urban Zen foundation is doing to help the Haitian recovery effort here.

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[Images via Women's Wear Daily]

Donna Karan Donna Karan Spring 2012 Ad Campaign haiti

Shekeelajones

You. Are. Wrong.
jdf

NOT racist…this is ridiculous!!!
Dbaptiste720

I
don’t agree that Karan is racist, but the immediate question is if she
cares so much about Haiti, why didn’t she use a model of Haitian
descent? I mean honestly, would it be that difficult to find a
gorgeous, thin, young Haitian woman? You
have to be willing to be brave if you seriously want to provoke change.
Hell, she can afford it. Or perhaps her “non racist “clientele would
prefer a white Brazilian woman? (out of all the negroes in Brazil….) I
know Adriana is a top model, but if this a political statement she was
trying to make, she MISSED it.
Bikerk

Or why not just donate the cost of these uber-expensive fashion shoots directly to Haiti?
Namaste

My friend, the issue is not whether or not DK is ‘Racist’ but whether her decision to choose this image out of all those that she could have chosen.. for her so-called campaign. The overt message of the open-legged colonial goddess, oh so close yet so far out of the reach of the poor and destitute Hatian Blacks, in their proper place (In the shadows behind her) in the back of a lorry… is not the best way to spark sensitivity for the conditions of post-earth-quake Haiti… Lets not defend a protocol faux pas.. as if it is somehow innocent.. Believe me when I tell you that the risque element of this photo – and its choice, while perhaps not ‘racist’ was taken into consideration and ignored. …Come DK.. Having done wonderful work on the ground there and elsewhere… You know should know better t7
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=779007703 Christopher Lee

while i had the same question, one must give donna karan her due for shining a light on a country like haiti that has been ravaged by catastrophe. she not only focused her entire COLLECTION on the country and her entire CAMPAIGN but she’s rallying the fashion community to look to the people of haiti in the same way they look to the people of bali. that’s radical and anything BUT racist.

Are Donna Karan’s ‘Haiti’ Ads Racist?

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