Nykhor Paul has something very important to say about racism in the fashion industry.
The 25-year-old Sudanese model wrote an open letter to makeup artists on her Instagram, questioning why she has to bring her own makeup to a professional show — unlike her white colleagues.
"Don't try to make me feel bad because I am blue black its 2015 go to Mac, Bobbi Brown, Makeup forever, Iman cosmetic, black opal, even Lancôme and Clinique carried them plus so much more."
Paul notes that a good makeup artist should be able to choose the right products for her skin tone and for other women of colour.
"Just because you only book a few of us doesn't mean you have the right to make us look ratchet. I'm tired of complaining about not getting book as a black model and I'm definitely super tired of apologizing for my blackness!!!!," she wrote.
The model has worked with the likes of Marie Claire South Africa and Elle Magazine South Africa, as well as Vivienne Westwood, Balenciaga and Rick Owens, Jezebel notes.
But there is truth to Paul's statement around the fashion industry being exclusionary to women of colour. The Fashion Spot's 2015 Diversity Report found that out of 9,538 model bookings that have done shows in New York, Milan and Paris, 80 per cent of the models were white.
Here is the full caption Paul wrote on her page:
Dear white people in the fashion world!
Please don't take this the wrong way but it's time you people get your shit right when it comes to our complexion! Why do I have to bring my own makeup to a professional show when all the other white girls don't have to do anything but show up wtf! Don't try to make me feel bad because I am blue black its 2015 go to Mac, Bobbi Brown, Makeup forever, Iman cosmetic, black opal, even Lancôme and Clinique carried them plus so much more. there's so much options our there for dark skin tones today. A good makeup artist would come prepare and do there research before coming to work because often time you know what to expect especially at a show! Stop apologizing it's insulting and disrespectful to me and my race it doesn't help, seriously! Make an effort at least! That goes for NYC, London, Milan, Paris and Cape Town plus everywhere else that have issues with black skin tones. Just because you only book a few of us doesn't mean you have the right to make us look ratchet. I'm tired of complaining about not getting book as a black model and I'm definitely super tired of apologizing for my blackness!!!! Fashion is art, art is never racist it should be inclusive of all not only white people, shit we started fashion in Africa and you modernize and copy it! Why can't we be part of fashion fully and equally?
You go girl!