Supermodel Adut Akech hits Melbourne amid racism storm

Supermodel Adut Akech has doubled down on her criticism of a “racist” magazine mix-up, saying the mistake would not have happened to a white model. It comes as the second model involved in the furore revealed that it brought her to tears.

Supermodel Adut Akech says apologies will not “undo anything” amid a “racist” magazine bungle that published her interview alongside a photo of “another black girl”.

City of Melbourne yesterday issued an apology after a Who magazine spread on the Fashion Week ambassador included a picture of model Flavia Lazarus.

The bungle was blamed on the council’s press agency, OPR, after the shot was mistakenly included in images sent to the magazine.

Touching down in Melbourne yesterday, South Sudanese-Australian Akech told the Herald Sun that the mix-up would not have happened to a white model.

The 19-year-old’s interview addressed views on refugees and people of colour.

“It is racist but obviously I know it was not intentional,” Akech said. “It was a mistake.

“But it does come across … you wouldn’t mix up two white models’ names or use another white girl.”

Lazarus also slammed the error, saying it was “so embarrassing” and had brought her to tears.

“We don’t have the same head shape, we don’t look the same except that we have the same skin colour and a shaved head,” she said.

“I felt bad for (Akech), she has worked her butt off.

“It makes you feel invisible that you could do all this work but you won’t be ­remembered.”

Lazarus said the “heartbreaking” mistake was a symptom of a bigger issue in the industry, in which she sometimes felt she was hired as a “token black girl”.

“It is a racial issue, this wouldn’t happen to a white girl,” she said.

South Sudanese-Australian supermodel Adut Akech touched down in Melbourne today, after calling out a magazine profile that mistakenly used a photo of “another black girl” instead of her @theheraldsun https://t.co/KurgRWuX42 pic.twitter.com/eQ6vxwxEAi

— Monique Hore (@moniquehore) August 26, 2019

Despite becoming aware of the blunder last week, City of ­Melbourne, the press agency and Who only issued public apologies when Akech took to Instagram to call out the mistake.

In a statement, a Who magazine spokesperson said: “Who sincerely apologises for the incorrect image that appeared in this week’s magazine.

“Unfortunately the agency that set up our interview with Adut Akech supplied us with the wrong photograph to accompany the piece.

“Who spoke directly with Adut to explain how the error occurred and have sincerely apologised.

“We also apologise to Flavia Lazarus for the misprint.

Adut Akech has slammed Who magazine. Picture: Ian Currie

“Our intention was to share Adut’s inspiring story and highlight her achievements. We are committed to increasing the diversity in the pages of Who, and arranged the interview in view of this. Hopefully the result of our misprint will be more people talking about this issue in the industry and tackling it head-on.”

Public relations agency, OPR, said that it had “mistakenly sent a file of images to Who magazine which resulted in an incorrect image being used”.

“The error was administrative and unintentional and we sincerely apologise for this mistake and any upset it has caused to the models involved, and our client, the City of Melbourne,” a statement said.

Akech on the cover of Vogue Germany September issue.

Akech in a Zara campaign. Picture: Zara

The Herald Sun understands that the agency sent an incorrect Dropbox link that included images of an African model that, while not specifically named, was assumed to be Akech.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the council was looking for ways to ensure “these acts of discrimination, whether intentional, blasé or blindly, do not keep happening”.

“The response to the situation so far is unacceptable and we are talking to all parties to find a way to put this right,” said Cr Capp, who met with Akech last night.

Cr Capp said the council was “frustrated and deeply disappointed”.

“Adut is right, we need to do better,” she said.

“Respect for all people from all backgrounds is fundamental to our city and our culture.

“The diversity of our community is precious and something we truly value and celebrate.

Akech is one of the world’s top supermodels. Picture: Tim Carrafa

“We are working to identify ways we can make a positive impact so that these acts of discrimination, whether intentional, blasé or blindly, do not keep happening.”

Her manager Matthew Anderson, director of Chadwick Models, said they were first alerted to the mix-up last Thursday by the City of Melbourne.

“It had us all gobsmacked. We understand that sometimes photos are credited to the wrong person but when it’s a feature story on refugees and people of colour, to have the wrong picture there punctuates what she is saying that there’s a long way to go,” he said.

Adut Akech arriving at Melbourne Airport from Adelaide yesterday. Picture: Tony Gough

Akech said that while she accepted the apologies, they were “not going to undo ­anything”.

One of the world’s top models, she has worked for Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Miu Miu, Prada, and Versace.

“Overseas a lot of people are getting called out for it so a lot of people are scared to be the ones getting called out for racism or not having enough diversity in their shows or their campaigns,” she said.

“That fear has not reached Australia yet and therefore Australia is still kind of ­behind.”

A passionate advocate for refugees, Akech also featured as one of the 15 influential women chosen by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex to appear on the cover of British Vogue’s “Forces for Change” September issue.

While she initially remained quiet, Anderson says the anger and frustration built in Akech over the weekend, and she felt a responsibility to speak out.

“She was pulled out by British Vogue as a spokesperson and positive role model, she felt it was her responsibility as a role model to speak out,” Anderson says.

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“She was not happy about it when she found out and then on Saturday when she saw the printed edition and it hit her and she became really upset about it. It kept going for her and that’s why she decided, ‘No, I want to say something’.”

Akech said she would not let the racism furore affect her appearance at Fashion Week, which kicks off on Thursday, with her mother and four younger siblings to see her on the catwalk for the first time.

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