Supermodel Adut Akech said she feels disrespected after an Australian magazine published her feature using another Black model's image.
Coincidentally, in the feature with Who Magazine, Akech discussed attitudes toward refugees and people of color.
Next to her feature, the magazine plastered a full-page image of the British model Flavia Lazarus, according to Complex.
The runway model, who has previously worked with Chanel and Vogue, addressed the situation on Instagram on Sunday.
“With the article, [Who Magazine] published a large photo saying it was me but it was of another Black girl,” she said in the Instagram post.
In the post, she also reminded white people that not all Black people look the same.
“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 said.
Originally from South Sudan, Akech grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp, according to CNN. She moved to Australia with her family at a young age.
Our very own Adut Akech has been announced as the face of @MaisonValentino's upcoming fragrance campaign #BornInRoma ????
Shot by: Inezandvinoodh pic.twitter.com/yUsl3vqUnQ
— Elite London (@Elite_London) July 15, 2019
“The error was administrative and unintentional and we sincerely apologize for this mistake and any upset it has caused to the models involved, and our client, the City of Melbourne,” a spokeswoman for Who Magazine said.
Incidents like this have proven to be more than just "accidents." A recent study conducted by scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University and the University of California, revealed that white people really can't tell others of different races apart, as previously reported by Blavity.
Akech highlights how this racial bias affects the modeling industry in her post.
"It goes to show that people are very ignorant and narrowminded that they think every black girl or African people look the same," she said.
Hopefully, this incident will lead to a broader discussion about racial bias within the fashion industry and beyond.