Model exposes ‘realities of being a Black model’ in video: 'Please hire more Black artists'

Model Leomie Anderson called out the fashion industry for not employing Black hair and make-up artists. Leomie Anderson posted a video of herself getting her hair done for a fashion show and highlighted how hair and makeup artists hired didn't know how to work with darker textures, often ruining their look. She shared an image done by make-up artists made available at the fashion event and then eventually posted video of herself after she redid her own make-up to highlight the difference and glow up was stark. "And this is why I carry a full makeup kit wherever I go for work," she captioned the video, reported Dailydot.

The on-screen text on the video read: “The realities of being a Black model during fashion week. I asked who could do Black makeup. Why do I look like I work in the mines?” The video went viral on TikTok garnering close to 300k times and 60k likes. After the make-up artist was done, she told him that it didn't quite look like her. “I told him this wasn’t my [color]. He is trash,” she wrote on-screen of the video. She added that a 'white leader' from the group tried to fix her makeup. She finally gave up and re-did her own make-up.

She then posted a video of her walking down the runway in her final hair and make-up that looked starkly different from what was done by the hair and make-up artists at the fashion show. “Yes. I ate it up like I always do. But by the time I walked down the runway I wanted to go home,” she wrote as people cheered for her as she walked down the ramp. She then called on the industry to hire more Black hair and makeup artists so other models don’t have to go through what she did.

Leomie Anderson, 28, has worked for brands like Marc Jacobs and Victoria’s Secret. Even for someone how has been walking for over a decade, she doesn't get a proper hair and makeup artist and that highlights the problem within the industry. People are hiring artists who have experience working with darker skin or textured hair. If anything, they should be paid more for doing their own hair and make-up. The sentiment was echoed in the comments section, where one person wrote, “It’s unbelievable that professional makeup artists don’t carry makeup for all skin tones! Ridiculous! You should be paid more for your inconvenience!” Anderson replied, writing, "Oh no he had it, this is just what he chose to do with it.”

Another person wrote, "How is it even allowed for Makeup artists/hairdressers to be considered qualified if they can't work with all skin tones/hair types? I just don't get it." One TikToker said brands' attempts to be inclusive were only performative. “This just goes to show that recent brand campaigns for ‘inclusion’ [are] just for show so they won’t be canceled. None of the work is actually being done,” they wrote.

The Vogue cover of Simon Biles drew similar outrage because Annie Leibovitz didn't light her properly. It was another case of a white artist not having the experience of being able to work with a darker skin tone. Many opined Biles, a champion gymnast, deserved better. As we reported, The New York Times national picture editor Morrigan McCarthy felt Vogue should have hired a Black photographer. "I adore Simone Biles and am thrilled she’s on this cover... But I hate these photos. I hate the toning, I hate how predictable they are, I hate the social crop here (wtf?) and I super hate that Vogue couldn’t be bothered to hire a Black photographer," wrote McCarthy.