#NepotismIsNotFashion.

Nepotism
/'nɛpətɪz(ə)m/

Noun
The practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.

While perusing on my Instagram feed on an uneventful Thursday afternoon filled with drinking gallons of tea, my eyes caught the attention of a post made by Vogue Magazine. The post features the August issue of the magazines front cover, with Malibu bred model Gigi Hadid and decathlete Ashton Eaton, in an attempt to bring both high fashion and the upcoming Rio Olympics, together. But in light of what Vogue is aiming to do, couldn’t a female athlete have taken Hadid’s place, which would have still brought about the same affect in allowing high fashion and sports to take center stage. One may disagree, stating that actually, since this is supposed to be a magazine that emphasises first and foremost, fashion, that including Hadid on the cover makes prominent the ‘high fashion’ atmosphere that Vogue exudes. However the comments section displayed anything but messages of congratulation for Hadid but rather the hash tag #NepotismIsNotFashion. 

Major sporting events, like the Olympics, are a huge way for not only athletes to show their patriotism by representing their country on the world stage, but also for them to be recognised within their own sport. Their performances during the Olympics have been the result of hours of daily training, which I think should be recognised by fashion magazines by allowing just athletes to feature on the cover. High fashion and sports can definitely mix without having a top model gracing the cover. But, I digress from the topic at hand. Nepotism is definitely not what fashion should be about. On the one hand, models, especially ones who are seen regularly, might be given opportunities based on favouritism. But I also think what needs to be taken into account is the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. Before models like Gigi Hadid and even Kendall Jenner were famous within the fashion industry, they would have had to display a level of zeal to the profession of a model, gain trust from designers and other models alike and would have had to learn the trade. Do I think that models that come from families who are already established within the public eye are more likely to succeed? Yes. They already have connections into the business and possibly have friends who are already in the industry to give them tips on how to make it. Do I also think this is fair? No. You should be selected on your ability. But, like I said before, I don’t think nepotism counts when the model gaining the job has gained it due to her prior display of a hard work ethic. As the public, we typically only see the outcome. Therefore, we rarely see the beginnings, and the graft that goes into creating the finished product.

One thing I am 100% certain I believe in is that the fashion industry does need to focus more on lesser known models, since they too have a lot to bring to the game.

Carla Creary xo