Garments: A Natural Hair Modeling Moment
Diversity on Magazine Covers: The first thing you see when you stop to pick up that magazine is the person on the cover. You stop, analyze what their wearing, how their makeup looks, what the leading headline is, and then form to make an opinion about it. But, when you notice that more and more you see diversity with each magazine cover you mentally break down in your head, don’t you let a little collective cheer? Last week, the social media world went insane when Teen Vogue revealed its dual August covers, featuring black icons Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles. Teen Vogue has been showing other publications just how it’s done. Within the last six months alone, the magazine has featured Fernanda Ly, Willow Smith, Amandla Stenberg, Zoe Kravitz….all people of color. In fact, the magazine has had more covers with people of color than without. Unlike another popular publication among the same age group, Vogue, Teen Vogue has really utilized diverse people in pop culture. Vogue has continued to get feedback from its readers as to why it has a history of not using people of color on its cover. Other subscriptions that have followed in the footsteps of Teen Vogue include Harpar’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and Elle. Maybe, just maybe, some publications need a little bit more time to catch up with what’s actually relevant? If one thing is for sure, we’ll certainly be waiting to see who keeps up with the ever-changing world, and who falls behind.
Victoria’s Secret Model Maria Borges Speaks Out About Her Natural Hair: The moment she strutted down the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, Angolan beauty Maria Borges completely redefined what it means to be sexy. She rocked her short, natural hair, and now, she is speaking out about how meaningful that very moment was for her. Not having to walk down the runway in a long, artificial weave or extensions of some sort is rarely seen in the industry. Borges has claimed just how proud she is to embrace her natural texture hair. She says, “I was a little skeptical because it would be too different to completely change my look with an image that would shape my modeling career. Then Riccardo Tisci used me in his runway show for Givenchy with my short hair. That moment was when I realized that by looking back to little girls back in Africa struggling to fit into ‘society’ by relating their looks to Caucasian and other ethnicities. No matter what kind of hair or skin color you have, you should always love yourself.” After walking in Givenchy with her short hair, she hit the VS runway to walk in her third show, but this time, without her extensions. “It took me by surprise, honestly,” she says of the decision for her natural. “Victoria’s Secret always used girls with their long hair always on point, but I was super lucky to walk for them with my natural hair. It made a statement that you don’t need wigs and a lot of makeup to be sexy, you have to be sexy being comfortable with who you are. It’s an inside job.”
Sonam Kapoor at Paris Fashion Week: Known for her bold sense of style, Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor rocked the streets of Paris during Paris Fashion Week. Every year at the Cannes Film Festival, Kapoor is commonly one of the ones to watch. She delivers a look, and I really mean a look, and has a true fashion moment each and every time she steps onto that red carpet. This year, she carried that over to Paris, where was photographed in a stunning Ralph & Russo ensemble. Sonam Kapoor has always been a woman not afraid to take a major risk; she doesn’t fear playing with different silhouettes, textures, and colors. Being a Bollywood celebrity, one might expect a traditional garment of Indian descent each time from any actress, but Kapoor continues to play with both Western and Eastern styles to portray a modern and collective blend of both cultures.