Fashion Week's "Obama Effect"

It's Fashion Week in New York, and some are finding are more diverse crop of models after last months inaguration of President Barack Obama. The NY Times recently featured a group of young Black male models who walked the Duckie Brown show last Friday. The models and their agents describe the recent success they're having in NYC and Europe as the "Obama effect" (Milan, aka "NO BLACKS", excluded. Read the article to see what I mean).

Part of me is extremely excited that our fabulous Prez and First Lady have inspired the often lily white fashion world open its doors to gorgeous models of color, but mark of me wonders if this is just a passing fad. Are these designers and fashion show producers really committed to diversifying, or are they just jumping on the Obama bandwagon, thinking it's "cool" to have a few Black models to match our Black president?

I guess only time will tell. Check out the NY Times piece here.