Black Model Forced To Do Her Own Hair And Makeup Calls Out The Fashion Industry

When you're watching your favorite TV shows or following your favorite clothing brands on Instagram, do you ever think about what happens behind the scenes?

Black women do. And if they're in front of the camera, odds are they're doing the work behind the scenes, too. Why? Because the entertainment industry has a big problem — there's simply not enough Black makeup artists and hairstylists in it. Not because they don't exist, but because they aren't being hired.

Case in point: A recent experience model Leomie Anderson had on the set of a fashion show she was walking.

Leomie is your next Instagram obsession.

She's stunning, she's talented, and she's a businesswoman! Leomie owns the brand LAPP, which specializes athleisure and comfy, cozy jackets. Basically, she can do it all — so she does.

She was hired to walk for Christian Cowan during New York Fashion Week.

This isn't any random runway — it's a runway at New York Fashion Week, which is one of the absolute biggest fashion events of the year. There's a TON of NYC makeup and hair talent to go around at that time. However, Christian Cowan missed that memo.

Her makeup didn't start out well.

"I asked who could do black makeup. Why do I look like I work in the mines?" she asked on TikTok.

I do not know what's going on with that lip liner, but I do know it's so, so wrong.

Leomie took it all off.

Even though she told the makeup artist he was getting everything wrong, he chose not to listen to her.

After that, three different people attempted to do her hair. None were Black.

Another artist tried to fix it, but Leomie wound up doing the job herself.

"The white leader tried to fix the makeup," Leomie said. However, the makeup was really dewy and the foundation tone was wrong. So Leomie stepped in and did it all herself in 10 minutes.

She absolutely killed it.

Leomie walked the show, but said she was ready to go home after she was done. She finished her TikTok by pleading for brands to hire more Black hair and makeup artists.

Sadly, this isn't a new issue.

One commenter pointed out that iconic model Naomi Campbell had the same issue at the height of her modelling career, and made the same request.

Actors like Gabrielle Union have expressed the same frustration, leading to hashtags like #ActingWhileBlack. This is an industry-wide problem.

Some said this incident highlights how far inclusivity has to go.

It's one thing to have inclusivity front and center, it's another to have it behind the scenes. If you don't have both, then you don't have true inclusivity or diversity. It's just for show.

I can't imagine how dehumanizing that must feel.

It's time for the entertainment and modelling industries to catch up with the times — and not just in front of the camera. There's no downside to letting Black creatives do their absolute best work!

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