Go backstage at any fashion show and you can guarantee that you'll be presented with a room full of jetlagged models, headphones on, phone in hand, waiting for their turn to be transformed by frantic hair and make-up teams.
Totally normal, until you're the model that ends up sitting, and sitting...and sitting, waiting for someone to bother actually doing your hair.
Which is exactly what happened to model Londone Myers. Posting a hyperlapse video from an unnamed show backstage at Paris Fashion Week , the Fulani/Irish model is seemingly ignored by hairstylists in the background whilst they attend to a group of white models instead.
Exposing the low level racism present throughout too much of the fashion and beauty industry, Myers expressed her frustration at the stylists' ignorance, captioning the post:
I don't need special treatment from anyone. What I need is for hairstylists to learn how to do black hair. I'm so tired of people avoiding doing my hair at shows. How dare you try to send me down the runway with a linty busted afro. We all know if you tried that on a white model you'd be #canceled 👌🏽 If one doesn't stand we all fall. If it isn't my fro it'll probably be yours.
We feel you Londone.
Whether you're a hairstylist at Paris Fashion Week or in a local salon, it's just not good enough to segregate women based on their hair type with the justification of, 'I don't do afro hair'.
And when those hairstylists are meant to be at the forefront of the fashion industry, simply styling natural and afro hair shouldn't be balked at.
Unfortunately this isn't the first time the fashion industry has come under fire for their treatment of black models.
Victoria's Secret model and LAPP founder Leomie Anderson famously spoke out about the negligent treatment she received from hair and make-up artists at fashion week that lacked any knowledge of dealing with her skin tone and hair type.
Speaking on her own experiences, Anderson said, 'I remember when I was younger and I wasn't saying anything, I'd be going down the runway with my face looking grey, I'd be crying backstage because nobody wanted to do my hair.'
Calling the fashion industry - inclusivity isn't a trend. Take responsibility and educate your hair and make-up artists. Cheers.
