BIPOC talents challenge Italian fashion industry's inclusivity

Six BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) creatives share their experiences in the Italian fashion sector, highlighting systemic barriers and tokenism. Paul Roger Tanonkou, Michelle Francine Ngonmo, and others discuss the need for genuine representation. Ngonmo founded Wariboko agency, representing 38 Afro-descendant talents. Zenam, a fashion designer, launched a brand fusing Made in Italy with sub-Saharan African traditions. An activist created Afro Fashion Association in 2015, criticizing post-Black Lives Matter tokenism. Make-up artists note lack of dark skin product shades in Italy, forcing them to train abroad. Photographer Marzio Emilio Villa, a black-indigenous artist based in Milan, has exhibited at Myriam Bouagal Galerie in Paris and his work 'Privileges' entered MUDEC's permanent collection in 2021. He participated in PhotoVogue Festival 22's collective 'Italian Panorama'.