Darker Skinned Glamour Girls
by Racialicious Special Correspondent Latoya Peterson
Paging through an older issue of Pride Magazine, I noticed something that initially stood out to me as strange.
Hmm, I thought to myself, they have a lot of dark skinned women in this magazine. Wonder why?
Then I wondered to myself why I thought it would be strange to have dark skinned women in a magazine that caters to black women. That should have been a no-brainer. So why was I surprised?
It wasn’t until I got home and paged through a few other magazines when it hit me - I thought it was strange because I normally don’t see many women featured in fashion magazines that are darker than myself.
Gabrielle Union and Kelly Rowland tend to illustrate darker complexioned women in mainstream magazines and black based magazines may feature a darker skinned model or two, but representation is seriously lacking.
Later on that evening, I was prepping a large batch of magazines for recycling. After thumbing through about 30 issues of various magazines, I made the following notes:
*One fashion spread featuring a darker skinned woman in the 2006 Vibe Vixen.
*An Azzure ad from that same 2006 era, also featuring darker skinned, plus sized woman
*Last month’s Essence included one profile of a darker skinned business woman, and a couple of advertisements containing a darker skinned woman.
*Self Magazine had a stock photo in January featuring a darker skinned model with a loose natural style.
That’s all I got out of 30 magazines? Unfortunately, the current crop isn’t much better. I also noticed some interesting trends.
To be represented, it appears that darker skinned women have to fit into a certain mold.
Mold 1 - Striking and Exotic
Ajuma:
Alek Wek:
Or Mold 2 - Used for color contrast:
However, the women featured in the Pride Magazine broke these molds with a quickness.
Recording artist Mica Paris was featured with her hair loose (pictured below) and also in another photo with a white catsuit and large afro.
Model Rachael Williams was featured as the face of African Pride. This was the back cover ad:
Her MySpace Page also includes pictures from photo shoots, like this one:
Or this one:
After taking in these pictures, I reflected on the lack of comparable images in American glossies. This is not to say that models like Ajuma and Alek are not beautiful. It just seems like fashion has a specific look that is acceptable for dark skinned women. It is almost as if the woman is not dark with close cropped hair and a bone-thin physique, she simply does not exist. Seeing women like Rachael Williams and Mica Paris gracing the pages of a fashion magazine were a welcome change for hair and size diversity.
March arrived a couple weeks ago, and I quickly ran to the newsstand to pick up the newest copy of Pride. I skimmed through the pages eagerly, only to notice something was missing. Throughout the magazine, the models were mid-brown to fair. So were the subjects for the articles.
The darker-skinned glamour girls were gone again.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of 
Celeste wrote:
The preference for “Dark and striking” does leave a lot of dark-skinned black women behind. I’m pretty sure that if you look around this country, most o fthe attractive dark-skinned black women aren’t willowy, close cropped copies of Alex Wek. That’s one thing that I will give Tyra credit for is trying to get fashion to appreciate the beauty of the “dark girl next door”.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 8:37 am ¶
Callith wrote:
I’ll go through my stack of SA magazines tonight. I’m curious to see what I’ll find.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 9:20 am ¶
islandgirl550 wrote:
While I am happy to see any model of color in magazines, I would be thrilled to see the “dark skinned girl next door,” modeling a fierce outfit. I love fashion but I sometimes get discouraged as it is so exclusionary.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 9:26 am ¶
Gregory A. Butler wrote:
Magazines oriented towards Black men are even worse - at least one, Black Men’s Magazine, actually retouches the photos of dark skinned models to make them look lighter!
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 10:48 am ¶
summer wrote:
i know essence takes a lot of heat, but one thing i give it credit for is regularly having dark-skinned models throughout its mag for various pictorials. i’m surprised that the issue you saw only had one. that is one of the primary reasons i keep subscribing.
as celeste noted, that is one thing i give tyra credit for.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 10:51 am ¶
tasha wrote:
Latoya, I disagree. Like I said before in a similar post, I think this theory about the dark skinned, black models only being represented in a certain mold, may be a broad generalization based on two or three black models that just happen to be in the spotlight right now, mainly Ajuma Nasanyana, for her recent Vivienne Westwood campaign and Alek Wek because of comments from her recent book and the fact that Wek is perennial. Though I’ve seen her runway and editorial work, Vivienne Westwood is the only campaign I’ve ever seen featuring Ajuma . So, it’s not like she’s so ubiquitous. For your examples of Ajuma and Alek, I can posit Naomi Campbell, Januel McKenzie, and Honorie Uwera. I mean, you have a post, directly below this one, linking to an article about Oluchi Onweagba, and she’s wearing a long weave. What about Valery Prince, from a few years ago, and Jessica White (who’s editorials I just saw in this month’s Essence and in the latest SI Swimsuit edition), or Yasmine Warsame? Tomiko Fraser and Agbani Darego have cosmetics contracts with L’Oreal and Maybellne. What about the Kiara Kabukuru looking chick in the new Old Navy ads? What about Kiara Kabukuru? All of these models are neither light skinned or known for sporting close cropped hair. In the 90’s, no one thought of Roshumba as some type of exotic curiosity or a tool for color contrast because she had dark skin and short hair. She was just another black supermodel among Naomi, and Tyra, and Veronica Webb, and Beverly Peele, etc. So, what’s changed?
You know, the gripe used to be that Alek Wek was a quota token because of her dark skin and hair. Now, since I can name two or three more (namely Georgie Badiel , Kinee Diouf, Ajuma) Alek Wek types, you’re suggesting that there are too many. And Latoya, this post is not without irony. Like, come on, you see the irony in this, right? You’re telling us that, in the fashion world, there are dark skinned, black women that are not only appreciated for being dark, but they don’t have to wear 15 pounds of lace-front to be represented either? And that’s a problem, because . . .
(And yeah, out of all the women on this page, Ajuma stands out the most. That’s probably why she’s a top model right now.)
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 12:44 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:
I would add that alek is often used as “contrast”.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 12:51 pm ¶
Latoya Peterson wrote:
Tasha -
The point of this post is in the title “Dark Skinned Glamour Girls.” To break from these molds. I am glad you have been following the industry closely enough to throw out name after name, but to the casual reader, this does not register.
Make Fetch Happen - who follows fashion more closely than I - also posts her thoughts here:
http://makefetchhappen.blogspot.com/2008/03/in-other-blogs.html
As I explained in the post, what gets me is the idea that there are generally one or two ideas that become acceptable and that is what people use. Tomiko Fraiser is midrange, with keen features. She is around my complexion. I am talking about people who are darker, because, as I said above, my brown is generally the darkest brown I see represented. Tyra, Veronica Webb, and Lisa Kibedye - Fair to mid range, like I said.
As Bridgette notes in her post, Naiomi has transcended from model to icon…and yet she still complains about limited opportunities and representation.
Alek Wek, in a recent article in Pride, explained that she was going to be much more selective about the jobs she selects, as she felt that her skin color was being exploited.
I’m glad you think that there are no problems with the representation of darker skinned women.
However, I am calling it as I see it.
From where I sit, there is a large problem. It is wonderful that dark skinned women are allowed to represent themselves and appear with close cropped hair instead of a lace front. However, when I look at the ads featuring a dark skinned model, that same pattern starts to show again - the aim is for different, striking, exotic - which means thin physique, fierce expression, dark skin, short hair. With the exception of thin, the image represents the opposite of conventional beauty.
What I would like to see are photos of Alek and Ajuma at ease, resting languidly near a handbag or a car instead of looking like they are ready to fly off the page and attack.
The problem that I have - which will be repeated when I post articles on representations of Latinas, SouthEast Asians, and other ethinic groups - is that there is going to be a type. I would like to see a dark skinned girl with a changing look front a major ad campaign or fashion spread. I would like to see stylists work to their full potential.
I would not like to see a new color ghetto be created.
But again, Tasha, if you feel like we are over reacting, feel free to pen your own article with photo evidence and I would be happy to post it.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 1:41 pm ¶
FeministPunk! wrote:
as a South Asian female with “light” brown skin, I can tell you that it’s the same in our community. Lighter skinned Desi females are more “desirable” than darker skinned Desi females. And Bollywood rarely (and probably REFUSES) to cast dark skinned women in movies.
Pathetic.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 3:02 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:
However, when I look at the ads featuring a dark skinned model, that same pattern starts to show again - the aim is for different, striking, exotic - which means thin physique, fierce expression, dark skin, short hair. With the exception of thin, the image represents the opposite of conventional beauty.
What I would like to see are photos of Alek and Ajuma at ease, resting languidly near a handbag or a car instead of looking like they are ready to fly off the page and attack.
These ads make me wonder the same thing too. Numerical representation is good, but it is not just quantity. It is how or in what context these women are placed.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 3:24 pm ¶
The Cruel Secretary wrote:
Gatamala & Latoya–…maybe I’m reading it wrong but, in posing the dark-skinned models as if they’re “ready to fly off the page and attack,” it’s as if the stylists/photographers/editors/advertisers are saying that these types of models–and by extension, we of the darker African hues–are actively not trying to fit into “conventional beauty.” Like we’re willfully incapable of being conventional=acceptable=civilized. Like *all* we’re capable of being is safari pelt-print fierce. BTW, I’m curious about your reactions to Project Runway 4’s Christian Siriano specifically asking “dark-skinned” models for his runway show.
FeministPunk–I’m noticing lighter-skinned men getting hyped up as more “desirable” in newer Bollywood films. SMH
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 4:00 pm ¶
thinkingdifference wrote:
I’m not going to agree or disagree, but today I’ve been browsing through some magazines and I do remember a big cosmetics ad featuring Queen Latifah, and one featuring Beyonce. Not that this is much, but I like the fact that some of the ads featuring women also go beyond the 90/60/90 model and portray a diversity of beautiful bodies and features. Now that I’m thinking about it though, I cannot say that I’ve seen any Asian models (though I do detest to think in these terms; dividing people into racial categories is useful only when it comes to dealing with racial discrimination, but at the same time it ’s deeply counter-productive).
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 4:02 pm ¶
Latoya Peterson wrote:
TCS -
“Like *all* we’re capable of being is safari pelt-print fierce. ”
Thank you. All those freaking words and I couldn’t find a way to state it that clearly.
It is not the women I object to, but the fact that I can see white/lighter models get to use hair and makeup to create all kinds of looks, but when it comes to darker skinned women there’s already a mandate. Fierce! Ferocious! Someone get me a leopard print and a white background!
I also just remembered that I did see Alex Wek looking glam and fabulous - in an ad campaign for her own handbag line. *headdesk*
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 4:12 pm ¶
The Cruel Secretary wrote:
“Fierce! Ferocious! Someone get me a leopard print and a white background!”
LMAO
That’s why I don’t put leopard print (or that other tired print, zebra) on my milk-chocolate, bald-headed behind now. Studiously avoid them, in fact. Imagine if I wore that and stood by a white wall. “Gosh, you look so much like Alek Wek…”
*Eye roll*
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 5:53 pm ¶
The Cruel Secretary wrote:
…and I love Alek Wek and the darker-hued models, too. But damn that mandate.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 6:01 pm ¶
atlasien wrote:
There was an interesting article in Little India few months ago called “The White Complex“. To make a point, they digitally darkened the skin of the cover model.
In the article, the examples of stars they showed as “dark-skinned” were more medium-toned than anything and nowhere near as dark as the model on the cover. The article talked a lot about how the standard for celebrities was really not at all representative of the population.
The same is true from what I’ve seen of TV in Mexico. If you watch a variety show or soap opera, versus a reality show, it’s like they’re drawing from the population of two completely different countries.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 7:22 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:
I was happy that Christian did pick dark-skinned models.
But this:
Fierce! Ferocious! Someone get me a leopard print and a white background!
had me rolling!! The white background manages to find Alek wherever she goes. I remember her on Elle when she had a white suit, lots of Vaseline and a white background.
Call me when they let her do a skin product commercial that talks about clear, healthy skin.
Posted 21 Mar 2008 at 10:46 am ¶
Rob Schmidt wrote:
I sure learn a lot about fashion models here at Racialicious. Who knew they were such a multifaceted topic?
Posted 21 Mar 2008 at 11:31 am ¶
The Cruel Secretary wrote:
Gatamala–
You *know* if and when Alek (or another dark-skinned model) does the the clear-and-healthy-skin product commercial she’ll be stuck with a–wait for it–white background. Or worse, milk, a la Whoopi Goldberg in that Annie Leibovitz mess of a photograph.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/leibovitz_pop/1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/leibovitz_a_gallery.html&h=597&w=600&sz=46&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=25GsrUijG3sl5M:&tbnh=134&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwhoopi%2Bgoldberg%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den
What’s sad about this link is it’s the first image that came up when I googled images of Whoopi.
*Purse lips*
Posted 21 Mar 2008 at 1:38 pm ¶
berrybrowne wrote:
and again, this is why i love barack obama. his marrying michelle was purely for love and due to her fabulousness, but now it’s a wonderful statement: the black girl next door IS beautiful.
Posted 21 Mar 2008 at 9:12 pm ¶
mika wrote:
I just read an excerpt in India Vogue (or Marie Claire, can’t remember right this second) from Alex Wek’s new autobiography, I don’t know if it’s in the U.S. version but she talks about the (not so) subtle racism she’s encountered in the industry particularly when she is hired to be either “contrast” or to fulfill the “Primitive African” typecast, I found it to be really insightful and thoughtfully written on her part, it made me want to read her autobiography.
Posted 24 Mar 2008 at 12:36 am ¶
Andre wrote:
I really agree with you, and not only in magazines everywhere. It’s either white or asian models that are praised in contemporary fashion. Where are the dark-skinned models in fashion, no where. And most of these white or asian models, are very anorexic. yuck, you need more diversity in that game
Posted 24 Mar 2008 at 9:09 am ¶
DivergentDana wrote:
I don’t know about that… I can only think of Ujjwala Raut, Hye Park, and Devon Aoki… there doesn’t seem to be that many Asian models at all.
Posted 25 Mar 2008 at 5:41 am ¶
Andre wrote:
ok maybe there isn’t alot of asian models, but the ones that they feature in asia, look more like European people
Posted 25 Mar 2008 at 1:07 pm ¶
Chrissy wrote:
This was a very intersting post. As a very light skinned African American woman, I remember back in the late 1980′2 there was almost no representation of light skinned Black women in fashion magazines or any other form of mainstream media. Naomi Campbell, Diana Ross, Iman, Whitney Houston, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Anita Baker, etc…were the black (all darker skinned) women who were received all of the attention and celebration in our culture back then. It was like light skinned Black women simply didn’t exist. Now I see the pendelum has gone in the other direction and it is indeed sad. We (Black women) come in such an amazing variety, all worthy of adoration and representation. Sadly I think this is reflective of what is going on in the Black community, where many of our youth have very neagative feelings about being Black. Hopefully we can infuse our community with a feeling of unity and appreciation for our history , our culture, and our diversity. It is our responsibility to change how we see ourselves.
Posted 26 Mar 2008 at 7:09 am ¶