Multiculturalism As Modeled In Fashion — The Hakka Edge

Blue-eyed blondes were the standard bearers of beauty on runways, in the pages of glossy magazine and in TV commercials until the 1970's-- when designers, editors and advertisers determined that diversity paid.

But even after covergirls like Naomi Sims, Iman and Beverly Johnson crashed the catwalk and shattered old notions of beauty-- the paradigm shifted from all-white, to black & white.

Now, thanks to globalization, the power of social media and the browning of America-- the beauty business has undergone a yet another makeover and has finally started to reflect a more multicultural consumer base.

Supermodels Gail O’Neil, Naomi Campbell and Tyson Beckford-- all of whom share Jamaican-Chinese ancestry-- were at the forefront of that wave. [DO NOT USE THE FOLLOWING UNTIL WE CONFIRM WALTER CHIN: And they've all posed for fashion photographer Walter Chin, a fellow-Jamaican Hakka, and one of the 21st century's most iconic image-makers.]

Join Gail O'Neill, Keith Lowe and Paula Madison in conversation as they talk about multiculturalism as modeled in fashion.

Gail O’Neill is a journalist, style editor and blogger. As a contributor to ArtsATL, she reviews books, film, theatre and architecture, writes profiles of artists and covers museum and gallery openings in metro-Atlanta. She is also style editor for Southern Seasons Weddings magazine, where she reports on trends in bridal couture, food, drink and design. And her blog The Gaily Planet is a compilation of essays on popular culture, business, politics, sports, style and film.

Most recognizable for her work in television, Gail has hosted several prime time series and specials for HGTV, anchored CNN’s weekly series Travel Now and was a film and entertainment correspondent for CBS News’ The Early Show. Prior to Gail’s tenure as a television journalist, a chance encounter with a photographer led to her career in fashion. The subject of magazine editorials and covers, she traveled the world as muse to top photographers, was a fixture on catwalks in New York, Paris, and Milan and the face of advertising campaigns for clients like Revlon, Cover Girl and Clairol.

A graduate of Wesleyan University, Gail divides her time between homes in New York City and Atlanta.

Panelists:

• Gail O'Neill
• Paula Madison, President New York Hakka Conference
• Dr. Keith D. Lowe, Chair and Co-Founder Toronto Hakka Conference