Just as the halls of the White House and rooms of Number 10 Downing Street have been overrun by white faces in the past, so have the catwalks of London, Milan, Paris, New York... while the covers of illustrious fashion titles have been a complete white-wash for as long as anyone can remember.

But as Barak Obama says, "it's time for a change" and what better way to usher in change in the fashion industry, than to start with the cover of Vogue?

In the past four weeks, the now dubbed 'black issue' of Italian Vogue, has caused such a demand in Britain and the United States that the publisher has had to reprint 40 000 more copies.

Why? Well because amidst the pressure for designers to put more black faces on the catwalk, not only is the beautiful black Jourdan Dunn (touted as being the next Naomi) on the July cover of Italian Vogue magazine, but the whole magazine features black models.

More than 100 pages of the issue features black women, shot by the acclaimed New York based photographer Steven Meisel.

End of industry apartheid?

Many are saying it's 'a cultural watershed in fashion', as in the past, there's been somewhat of an 'industry apartheid'.

The absence of black models has been explained by the fact that black faces 'don't sell'.

But it seems that excuse can no longer be used, with British retail newsagents scrambling to satisfy waves of people wanting to get their hands on the #6.50 edition. Now that's "change we can believe in... "

People are thrilled by the issue, with many black women being able to, for the first time, really relate to the fashion title.

Dunn heading to South Africa

The cover model, British-born 17-year-old Jourdan Dunn (also the first black model to walk Prada this past Fashion Week in Milan since Naomi Campbell in 1997), will be coming to SA to headline at Virgin Mobile Cape Town Fashion Week.

Supermodel Dunn will be gracing the catwalk in a David Tlale creation. The Mzantsi Fashion Star winner, has been asked to design a glittering showstopper for the international supermodel.

Virgin Mobile Cape Town Fashion Week will take place from 13 to 16 August, 2008 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.