Lee, who also became the first Black plus-sized model to appear in Vogue magazine last September, had this to say to Elle magazine about the intersection of body diversity and race:
“Well, I feel like there are diversity issues in media and fashion in general. There are so many different obstacles we have to get past. We have to get past not only size but also past the race issue. Being black and being plus is something that is a rare combo within this industry at this level, and I feel like it’s important to continue to excel and progress so there can continue to be more and more and more. I don’t think we necessarily have to stay away from talking about only size or race; they’re important. It’s a conversation that needs to happen. And people need to know. I wish that people focused more on diverse opinions and being able to change people’s perspectives. That’s going to be able to change other generations. That’s what’s most important to me. Us doing this, this happening right now, is going to allow girls that are teenagers now, for it to be normal for them. That is what a real revolution is.”
Lee makes a valid point that being Black and plus needs to be an ongoing conversation if we want to change the perspective on what constitutes a “normal” body type or beauty period. But it seems that a huge segment that has a distorted viewpoint isn’t just our impressionable youth but the media’s readership and viewership, as evidenced by some of the derogatory comments I’ve read not just on this campaign but also on a recent Instagram post of a major cosmetics company where many Black women drop more than a few coins, including myself.
During NY Fashion Week, MAC Cosmetics posted a stunning close-up of Ugandan model Aamito Lagum’s lips accentuated in a gorgeous, deep purple shade. Sadly, the photo summoned racist trolls, and MAC’s comments were littered with offensive remarks from the hue of her skin to the fullness of her lips by haters who simply refuse to think forward. But Lagum flawlessly handled the hate:
“My lips giving you sleepless nights,” she wrote on her own IG page. “Thank you @maccosmetics for this killer color and to that makeup artist. Get me 3 of these.”
Drops mic.
Her response eventually inspired the #PrettyLipsPeriod movement on both Twitter and IG.
I’m still waiting on a response from MAC, who didn’t address the blatant racism, though.
But that further underlines Lee’s observation that plus-sized women are overlooked in the cosmetics industry, too, where size shouldn’t even be a factor, and she hopes to eventually land a beauty contract.
“I don’t really understand why you don’t see plus models doing beauty. [In fashion], designers say it’s a sample size, that’s why you don’t see plus models the runway, but beauty? Why aren’t people using plus girls for beauty, for hair, for cosmetics, for skin care? I would love to do that. I would also love, love, love to do a really full-blown high fashion campaign where it’s not completely focused on my size. I would love to do something really over the top, shot by Steven Klein, just completely glammed out and have it not be like, ‘Oh, we have a plus-size model,’ you know what I mean? Throw in a straight-size girl. I want to do a campaign where it’s not so focused on size, where that’s not even a conversation.”
Both the SI cover and the Lane Bryant ad are revolutionary moments for a magazine that generally flaunts thinness as the standard. But we need more than just a random guest spot on one page so that our beautiful, brown, and curvy women aren’t continuously seen as a rare phenomenon or attacked as a racial target.
In the meantime while the commenters continue to perpetuate ignorance, I’m going to continue to applaud mainstream media for openly promoting authentic body types and attempting to rewrite a message to reflect that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and color. But I still hope media and retailers clap back at the hateration next time instead of sitting on their hands in silence.
Article Appeared @http://xonecole.com/this-lingerie-ad-featuring-a-curvy-black-model-is-featured-in-sports-illustrated-and-yes-its-a-big-deal/