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Opinion

Beauty biz shows true colors

Kalaiah Vaughn
Opinion Columnist

America’s Next Top Model host Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell and more women of color are iconic symbols of beauty. Because of this, I made the mistake of thinking that black women had become a staple in the modeling industry. I was disheartened, however, to find out black women are, to some, a passing fad in the business of beauty. 

Anyone who takes one look at my friend Kelli would assume the 5-foot-10-inch, size two, brown-skinned woman with strong features was already a model. When I first met Kelli last semester, I asked her if she was a model. She replied, "I’m about to put together a portfolio and hopefully I will be." 

So when I asked her this week about her modeling progress, I was dismayed to find out she still had not gotten any work. When asked why, she replied, "Every time I go to an agency, they all say the same thing: ‘You’re beautiful, your walk is great, but black girls are not what’s in right now. You wouldn’t get any work.’" 

I was utterly disgusted to hear this, not only because it’s 2006, but also because it’s an overt reminder of how Euro-centric the U.S. standard of beauty is today. To turn a model away because she cannot walk the runway or doesn’t photograph well is understandable, but to turn her away simply because "black isn’t in" is utterly ridiculous. 

It kills me that black girls aren’t in, yet more and more non-black women are receiving silicon lip injections and buttock implants. These plastic surgery poster women are on magazine covers, and the naturally full-lipped and amply hipped women aren’t. Given the success of Eva Pigford and Naima of America’s Next Top Model and the ongoing success of Alek Wek, one would think black women would be in high demand in the fashion industry. 

The lack of heterogeneity in the fashion industry is partially responsible for the many schisms women have with themselves. When women are constantly bombarded with photos of emaciated, bleach-blonde ingenues, it can be difficult for women who do not fit in the mainstream mold to be symbols of beauty. 

Promoters of beauty propaganda who feel "black girls aren’t in" lack the open-mindedness to look beyond race. Their opinion of beauty is contingent upon how much of themselves they can see in another person, not how the uniqueness of the individual is reflective of true beauty. It makes me wonder if they can see at all.

If they could see, they would know that women of color have "been in" since the beginning of time. From Nefertiti and Dorothy Dandridge to Pam Grier and Halle Berry ­ black has been in. 

Black women are often cast to endorse products, from Revlon (Halle Berry), L’Oréal (Beyoncé), Covergirl (Queen Latifah), Reebok (Venus and Serena Williams), Herbal Essence (Ashanti) and ProActiv (Alicia Keys). This enlightenment is why Vanessa Williams, Kenya Moore and Ericka Dunlap were all crowned Miss America. Even more so, black beauty is why Oprah isn’t just some colored girl but a cover girl every month for her magazine. 

My admonition to those who promote beauty propaganda is to promote reality. And realistically speaking, black women will always be "in." And, sadly, so will racism.

Vaughn, an opinion columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached at kalaiah_annette@yahoo.com.