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Quote by Tyson Beckford

“In fashion, there's a lack of strong male images. And there's a huge lack of strong African American images. I noticed over the past thirteen years, Ralph and those guys have used guys that looked similar to me. And I was happy for those guys, but eventually I said, 'Enough is enough, I'm just going to go in and take my job back.'”

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Tyson Beckford

Tyson Beckford (born December 19, 1970) is an American supermodel and actor, widely recognized as one of the most influential male models of the 1990s. Rising to fame through his iconic partnership with Ralph Lauren, he became the first African American male model to grace the cover of GQ magazine in 1995. Known for his chiseled physique and charismatic presence, Beckford has appeared on covers of Vogue, Esquire, and People's 'Sexiest Man Alive' lists. He broke racial barriers in high fashion, paving the way for diversity in the industry. Beyond modeling, he has acted in films and TV shows, including 'The Sopranos' and 'Lethal Weapon', and hosted reality series. Beckford remains a symbol of male modeling excellence and cultural inclusion. more

“I mean, a lot of people don't realize it, but fashion is one of the most racial industries left out there now. Radio and music aren't. Television and movies aren't. Even commercials now are showing interracial couples. You see a lot of diversity in TV shows, but you don't see that in fashion. You think there would be some, because the consumer is of all colors and all shades. But you don't see that in fashion.”