For us, conventional beauty is size zero and a fair complexion; however, with changing times the ideals of beauty have also changed. You! takes a look...
beauty
For us, conventional beauty is size zero and a fair complexion; however, with changing times the ideals of beauty have also changed. You! takes a look...
Beauty has been perceived in various ways throughout time and place. Different cultures, ethnicities and regions have their own ideals of what categorises as beautiful. It has been defined in so many ways time and time again that most people have been left confused. They have misunderstood it and beauty has been shadowed by a distorted version and conflicting pressures. Fortunately, that has been changing. Recent developments around the world in the beauty, fashion and entertainment industry has the ball rolling towards more acceptance and is encouraging inclusivity. For years, all over the world, especially in the sub-continent region, we have been obsessed with fair complexion, size zero figure and the stamp of an expensive brand. All this time we have been trying to fit into the idea that was handed down to us in order to be accepted, when we should have been comfortable in our own skin.
In honour of International Women’s Day, You! takes a look at some of the noticeable changes that are taking place in the world of beauty...
Whether it’s the Stunna Lip Paint or the Diamond Bomb highlighter, everyone is raging about Fenty Beauty by Rihanna ever since it launched back in 2017. FB came out with 40 shades of foundations from the palest to the darkest on its first day, stunning the beauty industry. There was never a wide shade range to choose from and the couple of companies that did have it, were too expensive. For creator and founder Rihanna, FB was created with a vision that women everywhere should be included. This is why she focused on a range of traditionally hard to match skin tones, developing formulas that work for all skin types, and pinpointing universal shades. There was a void in the industry. Thankfully after this launch, many brands followed suit and added more shades in their line.
Apart from the foundations, the rest of the products such as liquid lipsticks, highlighters and eye shadows etc are all created to be universally flattering. Not only this, the ad campaign for the brand also features all kinds of women flaunting their best self. According to RiRi, “Makeup is there for you to have fun with. It should never feel like pressure. It should never feel like a uniform. Feel free to take chances, and take risks, and dare to do something new or different.”
In the same year, Pakistan saw some trend shift too when renowned stylist Nabila came out her all-rounder palette ‘Zero Makeup’. There was a time when cakey makeup was the only look one sported, thinking it all looked great. The concept of minimal makeup was quite uncommon but that has changed now. A lot of women have taken a liking to a fresh face look by not piling layers of makeup and instead using it to accentuate their features. Especially women who never wore makeup or had no idea where and how to start, Zero Makeup tempted them enough to try it out.
With a nation obsessed with a gora rang, Pakistan found its champion for the cause of having women accept themselves in their own skin. In 2015, when Amna Ilyas received the Best Female Model award at LSA, she made a short but pertinent speech about it, which was followed by a thunderous applause. “When I started modelling, I got praise and criticism at the same time. I was repeatedly told ‘aye haye yeh tou kaali hai’ (Aw but she is so dark). Thank you for helping me believe in myself. This goes out to all the dark-skinned girls,” she said.
Amna talked about her struggles as a dusky model in an interview. She spoke about how she had to rely on ‘experimental’ projects rather than mainstream ones because companies still preferred to have a ‘gori model’ for their campaign. However, she stood her ground and embraced the colour of her skin. Amna’s start may have been rough, but she managed to carve out her space as she has been the face of top-notch labels in the country. Now, we are starting to see more dusky models who are equally successful as the fairer models in the industry.
Style icons are always remembered for something they did differently, which may have been considered unusual. There is a standard when it comes to doing a shoot, you should be ready to bare it all for the camera for any gig one gets. However, Halima Aden is one model who owned her sense of style, embracing her values and walking out on the ramp unafraid. Halima is the first-ever hijab-wearing model who first walked on the ramp for Max Mara and recently was featured on the cover of Vogue.
Who could’ve thought we’d see someone like that on the reputed international magazine! Growing up in a refugee camp, the Somali model shared with Vogue that she hopes that women around the world will connect.
“I think the industry could improve its inclusivity by allowing models from different backgrounds to have a spot at the table without conforming,” says Aden. “It’s about making women feel like they’re visible, like that their stories are being heard, like that their struggles are being shared, and they’re being empowered through images.”
Beauty doesn’t have to be packaged in a size zero. This was the ideology behind designer Samar Mehdi’s line called ‘Plus by Samar Mehdi’. While Samar designs casuals, formals and bridals, this particular line was really special for many women out there. According to the designer, her target market is quite diverse.
It ranges from a 6-year-old to her 60-year-old grandmother. With this line, they have also branched out to cater to expecting mothers and plus-sized women.
Moreover, last year’s Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) was also different as it brought a breath of fresh air with new designer Cheena Chappra’s collection.
She stole the show with her plus-size line and her ramp models were a representation of all body types, ages and beauty standards. We don’t find inclusivity and representation in ads or ramp walks, which is why it was commendable for someone new to finally crush the stereotype.
When it comes to pret wear, plus-size women have almost no options in Pakistan. Lawn ads and labels feature skinny models with the clothes styled according to their bodies. Not everyone can style their clothes, so most of us rely on the picture that comes with the dress to style our dresses. But, when we do look up to these catalogues, most of us don’t find our representation. And after having styled our dresses accordingly, they don’t turn out to be that flattering always. Generation is one of the pret wear brands that has been very progressive in this regard. Their ad campaigns have known to be unique and different, defying social stigma and sending out important messages. They have not only featured models of all ages but also plus-size, pregnant and even some with albinism and vitiligo, ethically.
