(Photo: Instagram)
The blogosphere is giving a collective round of applause to Sudanese Model’s Nykhor Paul, who publicly lambasted white make-up artists for being unprepared to do make-up for black models at major fashion shows. In an Instagram post, Paul wrote the following:
“Dear white people in the fashion world!
Please don’t take this the wrong way but it’s time you people get your shit right when it comes to our complexion! Why do I have to bring my own makeup to a professional show when all the other white girls don’t have to do anything but show up wtf! Don’t try to make me feel bad because I am blue black its 2015 go to Mac, Bobbi Brown, Makeup forever, Iman cosmetic, black opal, even Lancôme and Clinique carried them plus so much more. there’s so much options our there for dark skin tones today. A good makeup artist would come prepare and do there research before coming to work because often time you know what to expect especially at a show! Stop apologizing it’s insulting and disrespectful to me and my race it doesn’t help, seriously! Make an effort at least! That goes for NYC, London, Milan, Paris and Cape Town plus everywhere else that have issues with black skin tones. Just because you only book a few of us doesn’t mean you have the right to make us look ratchet. I’m tired of complaining about not getting book as a black model and I’m definitely super tired of apologizing for my blackness!!!! Fashion is art, art is never racist it should be inclusive of all not only white people, shit we started fashion in Africa and you modernize and copy it! Why can’t we be part of fashion fully and equally?”
Paul calls out make-up artists for treating models differently based on race including bookings and cultural appropriation. Ellie Shechet of Jezebel reports that the activist/model has walked for Vivienne Westwood, Balenciaga and Rick Owens. Paul aslo who won the models.com Humanitarian Award this spring for her foundation We Are Nilotic, which works to bring awareness to the crisis in South Sudan. Follow Paul on Instagram @Nykhor.
Read more at Jezebel.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual.
Follow the Burton Wire on Instagram or Twitter @TheBurtonWire.
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