The BoF Podcast | Bethann Hardison: Model, Mother, Agent and Advocate

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Background:

Bethann Hardison is a former model, agent, and advocate who has been agitating for a more inclusive fashion industry for more than half a century.

Hardison launched her own modelling agency in 1984, pushing for representation and equal pay for Black and ethnic minority models. Meanwhile, in her personal life, she was a working mom, and a woman that in her own words, “has no sense of retirement in her DNA.”

“When I say racial diversity, I mean I want to still see a redhead. I don’t want an all-Black anything,” Hardison says. “I want to make sure our world remains completely integrated. That’s the most important thing.”

This week on the BoF Podcast, we revisit conversation from BoF VOICES 2024 where Hardison spoke with London-based British-Jamaican designer Bianca Saunders about her inspiring career journey and the state of the fashion industry today.

Key Insights:

• Hardison’s approach to diversity in the fashion industry was intentional from the start. By strategically building an agency that mirrored the diversity of the world around her, Hardison disrupted the norms of a predominantly white industry. “I didn’t want to have a Black model agency,” she says. “I think it’s very important when you have to compete, you have to compete against the people who are running it.” Her decision to compete directly with white agencies allowed her to challenge systemic biases from within, making representation a matter of strategy, not tokenism.
• For much of her career, Hardison worked tirelessly to reflect on her impact: “When people come up to me and say, ‘Thank you so much. I love you. You’re such an icon,’ … When you’re doing the work, you don’t think of it as significant. You just want to get things done.” This humility is paired with a newfound appreciation for her legacy, which she gained while working on the documentary “Invisible Beauty." “When I decided to make the film about me and let the story be told, I finally realised the significance of what I’ve done.”
• Hardison’s vision of diversity extends beyond racial representation. She tells BoF she advocates for a truly inclusive world and challenges the concept of homogeneity in all forms to ensure that diversity remains expansive and reflective of the world’s richness. “The most important thing to me is to make sure our world remains completely integrated,” she says. “I don’t want an all-Black anything; I want to see redheads, I want to see diversity everywhere.”

Additional Resources:

• BoF VOICES 2024: The Power of Purpose. Former model, agent and advocate Bethann Hardison, French drag queen Nicky Doll and model-and-influencer couple Nara and Lucky Blue Smith spoke about challenging societal norms and finding their power.
• Op-Ed | Agencies Are Holding Back Models of Colour | BoF. Designers want to work with a diverse range of models, but some modelling agencies are making it tough, says Bethann Hardison.