SHADE, directed by Carlos Lamarche, is a documentary film that centers on “the efforts and beauty of Dominican models who have broken through the barriers in the fashion industry. Fernanda Pérez Sánchez (Vogue México y América Latina) writes, “Produced by Malecon Productions, LLC—a company founded in New York by Carmen Rita Wong— SHADE is not just a documentary about fashion: it is an act of affirmation, a visual and emotional vindication that challenges standards and gives voice to those who have been silenced for too long.” [Many thanks to @cinedominicano & @cinedominicanoreporte for sharing this item.]
What happens when the world celebrates that which has historically been ignored? This is one of the questions addressed in SHADE, the documentary directed by Dominican American filmmaker Carlos Lamarche, which will premiere in early 2026. With an approach that intertwines identity, aesthetics, and social struggle, this project follows the path of Dominican models who find international recognition in an industry that, for years, denied them visibility.
The camera moves between Santo Domingo, Milan, and New York, portraying the contrast between local reality and the global spotlight. While in their home country, Blackness [la negritud] continues to be rendered invisible by a deeply rooted colonial legacy, on the world’s most prestigious runways, these women are the new face of a beauty that can no longer be denied. The documentary not only shows their professional rise, but also the symbolic significance of this recognition in a society where, despite the majority of the population being of African descent, whiteness is still associated with success and progress.
Excerpts translated by Ivette Romero. For original article (in Spanish), see https://www.vogue.mx/articulo/shade-documental
SHADE, directed by Carlos Lamarche, is a documentary film that centers on “the efforts and beauty of Dominican models who have broken through the barriers in the fashion industry. Fernanda Pérez Sánchez (Vogue México y América Latina) writes, “Produced by Malecon Productions, LLC—a company founded in New York by Carmen Rita Wong— SHADE is not
