Khadija In Paris: A Black French Fashion Professional Tells About Her Experience In The Industry
Parisian fashion and its issues with representation
I have things I hate with a passion, and Emily in Paris is one of them. Between the Parisienne and an American in Paris - for the latter, I am NOT talking about that Vincente Minnelli’s movie with Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron - these are two clichés that have proven to stand the test of time in our imagination. Whether the Parisienne or the American in Paris, both are fantasies sold to the world, contributing to painting Paris as this city where women are effortlessly chic and living on baguette, fromage and Bordeaux wine all year round. And the American girl is supposed to want that je ne sais quoi and lifestyle. The Parisienne and the American in Paris are two sides of the same coin, in my opinion. That is why I borrowed my title from that wretched Netflix series that perpetuates a false image of Paris and the Parisienne, even when she is a foreigner.
So, who is Khadija, you ask? Well, first of all, she is a real Parisian and a thirty-something French-Guinean fashion professional. I wanted to share her experience as a Black French woman in the Parisian fashion industry to make you understand that Pharrell at Louis Vuitton doesn’t mean anything - he, after all, is just an insanely rich Black American in Paris - when you take French BIPOC out of the equation. This is what French fashion has been a champion at doing so far: not shining a light on its local BIPOC talents and, above all, not hiring them at every level. If you are surprised, Paris Fashion Week hasn’t been called out yet like Milan was a couple of years ago; it is because fashion is part of French heritage, generates billions and is at a crossroads with entertainment, culture, economy, and politics. Not that it isn’t in other Western fashion capitals, but Paris has made it an essential trademark that involves businessmen and politicians.
So here comes the necessity of telling stories like Khadija’s because it is one thing to talk about the lack of representation and diversity in fashion in the USA and the UK; however, it is another thing in France, especially as the conversation never started. Yet, it seems it does when the people are Virgil Abloh and Pharrell Williams. In other words, it is possible when Blackness and otherness aren’t French.
Khadija has worked for various well-known French brands, such as Chanel, Lacoste, and the lingerie brand Etam. This mix of brands on her CV is fascinating because their prices, targets, and products are entirely different yet embody Frenchness. So, I was curious to know how it was to evolve within brands that are the jewels of Parisian and French fashion as a Black woman.
As a consequence, what you have below isn’t a career interview of a Black woman who tells you how she made it in the French fashion industry but rather her observations and impressions of it. This is one experience, but it deserves to be heard and seen.
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CHANEL, CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER
On being the only Black person in the room and the fear of approaching the other Black person in the room
“I was hired at Chanel as a trainee from 2013 to 2014, while doing my Master 1 and Master 2. Clearly, at the cosmetics headquarters, at least, there was no representation. When I arrived on the floor, there were a hundred people working there, and I was the only black person. Another black girl arrived a few months or a year later, her name was Mariama, I still remember. I was so happy when she arrived, I thought, 'wow, a sister, so cool’, but she was a bit of a loner. I felt she didn’t want to get too close to me, but after a while, I don’t know why, she started to warm up to me, maybe she realized she had more in common with me than with others. But there was no representation, whether in internships, permanent contracts, or temporary contracts, there were no black people. There were a few North Africans and Jewish people, but that was all.”
About Chanel Beauté customer and their beauty standard
“I don’t even remember if it was specifically for Black or dark-skinned people, but I volunteered to have my makeup done for tests. The man who did my makeup was white. He was nice, so I asked him a bit indirectly - because I didn’t want to come off as confrontational, I was young and didn’t have the right words - why there was no makeup suitable for black and dark skin, and he told me, “well, that’s not the brand's goal.”
[…]
He did a pretty good job with my face. He used very transparent, glossy, and light makeup because nothing suited my complexion. Then he acted like he knew what he was doing on my skin. The result was cute, but it was nothing exceptional. But then, Chanel makeup isn’t that great either, and it’s not very pigmented for our skin. That story stuck with me. Ten years later, I’m still annoyed that I didn’t respond or say something. But, well, I was younger and didn’t necessarily have the words. I needed to be educated, too.”
On the working environment and culture
“The people who worked in my department were between their 50s and 60s. I was in customer service but wasn't really doing customer service. I was more on the commercial side. I worked with a stylish lady in her 60s who wore miniskirts and had carrots and coffee for lunch. She would make it known whenever she was tired or under pressure, even though her job wasn’t that difficult. I did what she did, so I know. I also had a manager who was kind but who could be really mean. One day, she yelled so much at me that I cried. It traumatised me. She apologised after colleagues told her she couldn’t behave that way.
In the other departments, people were a bit younger—in their forties. Men held all the positions of responsibility. The rest were women, with a few men here and there.
I clearly felt different as a Black woman. I won't lie to you. Not everyone made me feel that way. But when I was with the other interns or trainees, we didn't speak the same language. I had very few affinities. I often chatted with a sweet and kind girl named Marion, who also worked in my department. I was glad she didn't make me feel different, unlike the interns and trainees, who all came from big business schools and were a bit arrogant. Though we sometimes stayed and had lunch together, we didn’t have much in common.”
LACOSTE, PRODUCT OWNER
On the discrepancy between representation on ad campaigns and in the headquarters
“I came to Lacoste thinking they were good with representation as there are a lot of Black models on their site. It felt like they were everywhere on the homepage, landing page, and categories. Then I went to their headquarters in Paris, and suddenly, the representation of Black people amounted to two men: my colleague Tidiane and a security guard. I don’t remember seeing other Black people than them. One Black guy previously worked at Orange [editor’s note: a French telecommunication multinational], but he stayed a few days before leaving. This was like this in the digital team.
My colleague Tidiane started in 2018 or 2019 and left in 2022. He told me he was the only Black person on the floor. Like me, he found the representation of Black people on their site and ads jarring compared to the representation in the headquarters. When I arrived in 2021, the situation was very similar to what he saw when he started working there: you could count Black people on one hand. It’s terrible, but it isn’t shocking.
France doesn't like differences. France likes everyone to be the same. Some French people aren't open-minded enough to say some people are different, and that's okay, it's good, it's a plus, as long as people respect the country's laws. But no, they don't like it when you're a bit different; don't eat, speak, drink, or dress like them.”
ETAM, E-COMMERCE MANAGER
On inviting Aya Nakamura to sing at Etam’s Winter 2019/Summer 2020 Fashion Show and cutting her out of the show video recap
“I worked at Etam from 2017 to 2021. Every year, Etam holds a fashion show where several artists perform, some more well-known than others. In 2019, Aya Nakamura sang at the Etam show, and she was the biggest star they brought on board. It was during Paris Fashion Week, and she performed at Roland Garros, so as she set the mood, my colleagues and I were all excited, just like people watching the show worldwide.
A few weeks or days later, after the show, they shared images and key moments on the screens of Etam’s cafeteria. Can you believe Aya Nakamura, THE headliner, didn’t even appear for half a second in that recap video? That means that each time I went to have lunch, I would see the video on different screens, and all the artists would appear, but Aya Nakamura would be shown for a second. In the previous and following years, the headliners, when they weren’t Black, appeared more than a second in the recap. I swear, it was as if Aya Nakamura was there for one second. It made me so angry as Aya Nakamura had to succeed internationally to be respected in France. I believe she got her Vogue France cover once she was successful worldwide.”
I am curious, can you name a Black French fashion creative or a non-white French creative?
So You Think You Can Be French? Aya Nakamura, The Black Parisian Woman Between Politics And Fashion
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Hello Kate,
I completely agree with you. What I meant is that Emily in Paris still sells an idea of being a Parisian woman even if it means not assimilating at all. The character looks and way of perceiving her life in Paris is all so exaggerated and I believe it is part of the fantasy some actually have of living in Paris.
But I am also thinking of the myriads of newsletters popping here about being American and living in Paris and I sometimes giggle at reading how they view as you clearly see they are still seeing Paris as a postal card or have very strong reactions when Paris doesn't meet their imagination. There was a piece on Farrah Storr's newsletter about influencers moving to Paris for the aesthetic and I really I cackled because moving to any place requires much more than romanticizing it.
Love this. But a quick thing about Emily in Paris: Emily feels very American to me in the most obnoxious way. She has absolutely no interest in assimilating and she is lives without shame. For all the ridiculous things about the show, that aspect of her character seems pretty universal to Americans abroad. Also that they made her a social media influencer is hilarious. Like even Carrie on SATC was a writer and that gave her depth. But sweet, dumb, tacky Emily.