VIDEO: Top New York Casting Director James Scully Explains How Racism In Modeling Evolved In The Fashion Industry

New York casting director James Scully broke down in tears talking about how the fashion industry changed from his hey days until now. He explains in a story format from his personal perspective of what he went through, and what girls in the fashion industry go through.

Scully delivered a speech at VOICES, which is BoF’s new annual gathering for big thinkers, and elaborated on bullying, cruelty and racial discrimination that takes place at model castings. He also looks into how the general demand for good looking models with their own personality was reduced to a fad of everyone wanting a certain look that trickled down from the top. He was given a standing ovation for his impassioned plea to “support girls more and stop treating them like Tinder swipes.”

According to BOF, Joan Smalls, Hari Nef and Amber Valletta, were in the audience. All of whom admitted afterwards that they recognised the practices described in Scully’s talk. “I think James brought great attention and light to truths that have been a part of the industry in my time and obviously still today,” Valletta said on the VOICES stage the following day in an interview with BoF’s editor-at-large, Tim Blanks.

See the video below.