Diva Magazine Publishes “Be My Slave” Editorial

Here is yet another racist fashion editorial in the news. This one comes from Diva magazine, envisioned by Pakastani designer Aamna Aqueel. The editorial, bearing the egregiously problematic title “Be My Slave” features a white women clad in Aqueel’s designs alongside a young, dark skinned boy posing as a half-naked servant. 

The shots show the young boy sleeping on the floor, serving tea, holding a umbrella and other submissive roles.

When asked about her “Be My Slave” concept Aqueel of course denied any racial intent and claimed it’s “artistic expression” and she was trying to bring awareness the issues of child labor to forefront. Lady please, I’m not buying that and so isn’t International Herald Tribune reporter Salima Feerasta.

 “It’s facetious of the designer to claim that she was trying to stimulate a debate on child labour,” she writes. “The model wearing her clothes is clearly comfortable with her dominant position. She is not made up in a way that shows her to be the villain of the piece. The use of a dark skinned child in a shoot entitled “Be My Slave” certainly reeks of racism, however much the designer may deny it. And if anything, the shoot seems to condone child labour.” 

I’m not one those people that find everything racist but this here is ridiculous. Why people continue to publish editorials with these old, clearly offensive tropes is beyond me. More upsetting are the sorry justifications often made for these kinds of editorials in the name of “artistic expression”. Look: if you’re going to do something racist, be bold and upfront about it! Don’t hide behind a legitimate issue that has nothing to do with the racist imagery you’re putting out! That’s just my opinion.

What do yall think? Is it racist or artistic expression?