In the land of the free, you would assume there would be a progressive mindset, however, Iman remembers, “The French designers used more Black models. “It was Beverly Johnson and I who started talking, and then, of course, I met one of my best friends, Bethann Hardison, who took me under her wing and helped me navigate this industry,” Iman shares. (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)įor the Somalian supermodel, finding her tribe amongst other Black models felt more natural rather than giving in to systematic competition. Iman during Iman’s Press Party – Octoat Home of Peter Beard in New York City, New York, United States. Coming from Africa, I couldn’t understand that mentality.” “They somehow created this idea of tokenism and instilled in you that you have to dethrone another Black model to take that space. “When I arrived in New York in 1975, there was an unspoken rule, which was to use one Black model at a time,” Iman tells ESSENCE. In Supreme Models, the documentary series executively produced by supermodel Iman Abdulmajid and author Marcellas Reynolds, new and seasoned Black models explore the tales of the women who we recognize as trailblazers of change.īefore the days of casting directors favoring dark-skinned models with long legs and witnessing Edward Enniful place nine African models on the cover of British Vogue, there was a time when only one Black model could be in the spotlight. However, don’t get it twisted, they’ve always existed -they just haven’t always been welcomed to a seat at the table.Īlthough the racial awakening of 2020 enforced the industry at large to address its lack of diversity and inclusion, there were decades of work prior that initiated and promoted gradual change. Over the last few years, we’ve witnessed the industry’s doors creep open, which has brought more Black designers, Black stylists, Black photographers, trans, non-binary, and curvy models to the forefront. And that makes me feel really, really proud.In the close-knit industry of fashion, one’s success is not usually based on capability, it’s more so dependent on accessibility. They thank me and tell me that I inspire them. And not just from dark-skinned women but from all women struggling because of insecurity. Now that you're modeling, what kind of comments do you get about your skin? They called me "darkie" and "god of the night." I wanted to try it at the time because I felt a little embarrassed being dark, but my sister told me not to, because she said my skin was unique and beautiful. Once my cousins in Senegal asked me, "Why do you want to be that dark?" and told me to try skin-lightening creams. They don't know that being dark is something they don't need to change.ĭid you face any pressure to change your skin color? It's something that they need more education about. Yet some people in Senegal use skin-lightening products.Įveryone there wants to be light. In my family, only my brother has a similar skin color. Have you met anyone else with your skin tone? When I was younger I didn't have any inspiration to like the skin I was in. I was scared because I didn't know what I was getting into.īut almost everybody was telling me, why not? So I did it because I wanted to inspire girls. I wasn't interested because I wanted to get my education first. When I was in high school in Paris, some photographers wanted my photos and asked if I was interested in modeling. He suspected that Diop was from Senegal the moment he saw her picture. That's typical in countries close the equator, where the dark pigment melanin protects against UV damage from the sun's rays. From his research, he's found that people from Senegal and the islands of Micronesia have some of the darkest skin tones in the world. Marc Shriver, a professor of anthropology at Pennsylvania State University, has measured skin pigmentation around the world. "Little black girls need to see that just by being themselves they are equal," says Victory Jones, who is one of the group's founders and now Diop's manager.Īnd while her skin tone is unusual in the world of modeling, it's not in Senegal. In August, she posed in a photo campaign with black women of all shades for The Colored Girl, a group that challenges society's beauty standards.ĭiop's pride in her skin has inspired hundreds of thousands of women to follow her on Instagram, where she posts photos of herself using the hashtags #melaninpoppin and #blackgirlmagic.įor The Colored Girl, that's the big-picture message. It's what shot her to the social media stratosphere recently. Goats and Soda Egypt's All-Woman Roller Derby Team Is Skating Past Stereotypes
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