LINDSAY PEOPLES WAGNER ON RESPECT

“I know that it’s odd but I spend a lot of time and probably too much time thinking about reparations. And though I don’t know if that will ever happen for us, I think the closest viable feeling to that in fashion would be when we can say that we are being welcomed into spaces because of our undeniable brilliance that has been taken advantage of for far too long. The respect is what’s lacking. I see a lot of surface level attempts of hiring of assistants and dressing of trendy rappers and not enough support for black people who work behind the scenes. Too often, when we’re given a shot, we are asked to dim our light, to not be as phenomenal as we are, and the expectations are so high that it can all feel insurmountable. But no matter how tall the mountain, it cannot block out the sun so it’s our time to prove to people in power that this industry cannot shine without us. Stop thinking you are doing enough because you’re probably not. Do more, much more than you think you’re doing to help hire black people in every aspect, uplift black voices, advocate for black narratives, do more than you’re doing currently in this exact moment.”

—Lindsay Peoples Wagner, Editor in Chief, Teen Vogue