Adut Akech is not pleased with Australia’s Who magazine for using another mode’s photo in its interview with the Australian-Sudanese model.
Akech opened up about the mishap in a lengthy Instagram post on Sunday. “With the article they published a large photo saying it was me. But it was of another black girl,” she wrote.
The magazine ran a photo of model Flavia Lazarus, who’s from Uganda, The New York Daily News reports.
“Not only do I personally feel insulted and disrespected but I feel like my entire race has been disrespected too and it is why I feel it is important that I address this issue,” she noted in her post (see below).
“Whoever did this clearly the thought that was me in that picture and that’s not okay. This is a big deal because of what I spoke about in my interview. By this happening I feel like it defeated the purpose of what I stand for and spoke about. It goes to show that people are very ignorant and narrowminded that they think every black girl or African people looks the same. I feel as though this would’ve not happened to a white model,” Akech added.
“Big publications need to make sure that they fact check things before publishing them especially when its real stories and interviews and not just some made up rumors,” she wrote. “To those who work at shows and shoots it’s important that you don’t mix up models names. Australia you’ve a lot of work to do and you’ve got to do better and that goes to the rest of the industry,” she concluded.
The Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp commented on the controversy on Twitter, stating that the city is “frustrated and deeply disappointed.”
“I want to say how frustrated and deeply disappointed we are at the @cityofmelbourne regarding what’s occurred with our incredible @melbfashionweek ambassador Adut Akech and MFW model Flavia Lazarus. Adut is right, we need to do better,” Capp wrote on Twitter.
In a follow-up post she said: “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.”
Capp added, “The response to the situation so far is unacceptable and we are talking to all parties to find a way to put this right.”
