Uh-oh!
Readers are outraged with a spread in Allure magazine's August "Amazing Hair" issue.
The spread includes tutorials for '70s-inspired hairstyles, including a step-by-step guide for what the magazine calls a "loose Afro." However, rather than using a black model for the tutorial entitled, "You (Yes, You) Can Have An Afro* -- *even if you have straight hair," the magazine chose to feature white actress Marissa Neitling with her straight hair styled in a faux fro.
Now the magazine is feeling the wrath of Twitter for the blatant cultural appropriation:
Allure made a rather weak attempt to justify the article in a statement released to BuzzFeed:
"The Afro has a rich cultural and aesthetic history. In this story, we show women using different hairstyles as an individual expressions [sic] of style. Using beauty and hair as a form of self-expression is a mirror of what’s happening in our country today. The creativity is limitless -- and pretty wonderful."
However, the piece failed to mention anything about the "rich cultural and aesthetic history" of the Afro, which was worn by black men and women as a symbol of black pride in the '60s and '70s.
On Twitter, Allure tweeted that, going forward, they would make an effort to "reflect all perspectives" in their stories:
However, readers were not impressed with the magazine's failure to listen to their criticism and apologize for the piece:
Cultural appropriation has been a hot topic in the worlds of fashion, style and entertainment lately. In June, Teen Vogue received backlash for using a 'white model' in a story about Senegalese twists. And last month, Kylie Jenner was criticized by actress Amandla Stenberg for styling her hair in cornrows.
What do you think of the Allure spread? Let us know in the comments below.
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