Prejudiced? My kids are black! says Kate’s favourite designer
The Duchess of Cambridge’s favourite baby shop, JoJo Maman Bebe, has become embroiled in controversy after failing to include any black or mixed-race children in a new catalogue.
Laura Tenison MBe, the founder and CeO of the eco-friendly label, reveals she had to personally intervene after a disgruntled client made a complaint.
‘A grandmother wrote to me recently and said: “I’m disgusted that your catalogue doesn’t have any mixed-race or black models in.”
‘I said: “You’re absolutely right, but the trouble is we don’t see colour,”’ says Tenison, 51, whose £12 cotton top with a Peter Pan collar was worn by Princess Charlotte for her official second birthday portrait last year, right.
The complaint was especially surprising for Tenison, who received her MBe from the Queen in 2004 for her services to business.
‘My children are black, and 20 years ago I used them more than anyone else,’ she adds, speaking of the sons she had with her criminal lawyer ex-husband, John Femi-Ola. ‘At the time you would have a token black model, but I had far more black models. ‘I don’t see colour. So yes, we did produce a catalogue [without black children], but on that occasion all the volunteers just happened to be white because we were recruiting models in Devon. And we didn’t even notice. ‘What’s sad is we’re now actually having to notice and put the token black back in.’ Founded in 1993, JoJo Maman Bebe launched from a tiny shared office in London with stock stored in a disused carpenter’s workshop at Tenison’s parents’ home in Pontypool, South Wales. As well as baby clothes, it makes maternity wear that the Duchess of Cambridge has been photographed in several times. In 2015, she sported the firm’s £69 cream maternity coat for a visit to the Downton Abbey set. ‘We have always had volunteer models and they include children with disabilities, children of every race and colour,’ adds Tenison. ‘We use the children of our time — all our models are volunteers.’