For the first time ever, the Sao Paulo Fashion week has agreed to increase the number of black models in response to complaints made by anti-racism groups.

The said fashion week in Brazil has long been accused of having bias towards white people. Past shows featured only a handful of black models walking down the catwalk among the 350 models that participated. The number usually amounts to less than three percent.

For a country with more than half of its population coming from African descent, protesters deemed it unfair. “There shouldn’t only be whites in the Fashion Week. There should be more blacks, to show black culture, show the black beauty in society,” Caroline Naiara, 16, told AFP.

To appease its critics, 10 percent of the models were required to be either black or indigenous.

Organizer Andre de Souza says he supports the idea. He goes on to add, “We think 10 percent is very little. And there shouldn’t have to be quotas for black models. We want more to see black producers, black stylists, people who work in fashion generally, to be more a part of the market.”

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