Hundreds of would-be models tried their luck at an open casting event in a run-down Paris suburb, in what some commentators described as a sign of openness in the fashion industry.

However, the event, organised by the Claw agency, was staged after claims that the country’s fashion industry has made only token moves towards inclusiveness and continues to discriminate against black people. The Claw agency was founded five years ago to meet what its founders said was demand for diversity among models.

It organises talent spotting events around the country, including this weekend in Les Mureaux, a suburb with a large immigrant community. The area hit the headlines last year when a councillor resigned after saying that he had been attacked 11 times over