Dawn Of Dusk

INDIAN Vogue's latest issue is tackling colour prejudice within the country, with a cover promoting darker skinned models. Under the headline The Dawn Of Dusk five bikini-clad models, including Londoner Gia Johnson Singh, aim to dispel the prevailing belief in the sub-continent that pale skin equals beauty.

"Every generation has its share of beauty myths. Perhaps it is time to bust this one," the editorial says. "Time to say that as a magazine we love, and always have loved, the gorgeous colour of Indian skin...dark, dusky, bronze, golden - whatever you call it, we love it."

Fuelled by the appearance of light-skinned Bollywood stars and models, the demand for skin-whitening creams - from brands including L'Oreal and Unilever - grew 18 per cent last year and is set to increase by a predicted 25 per cent this year, theTimes reports. The Vogue cover has been praised by the country's fashion insiders for addressing the issue in a positive way.

"Skin colour matters a lot for women in India," Nirupama Singh, an expert on the sociology of fashion told the Times. "Fairness is a very valuable thing here, looked on as desirable. The fashion world can be a big agent for change in this area."