Model Leomie Anderson is tired of the poor treatment she receives as a Black model taking part in Fashion Week. In response to the continued disrespect, Anderson posted a video to TikTok detailing her experiences.
And it is shocking.
The British-Jamaican model started her modeling career at the tender age of 17 and has worked with major fashion brands like Marc Jacobs and Victoria’s Secret.
“The realities of being a Black model during fashion week,” she writes over the video. “I asked who could do Black makeup. Model Leomie Anderson is tired of the poor treatment she receives as a Black model taking part in Fashion Week. In response to the continued disrespect” Anderson said in reference to the shade of makeup being used on her skin.
The makeup artist ignored her.
“I told him this wasn’t my color. He is trash.”
She then goes on to share that a “white leader” attempted to correct her makeup — but ultimately, she was forced to do her own makeup because the “white leader” still didn’t get it right.
“Yes. I ate it up like I always do,” she writes, sharing footage of her walking the runway. “But by the time I walked down the runway I wanted to go home.”
Anderson is urging the fashion industry to hire more Black hair and makeup artists, so models don’t have to endure similar experiences. The video has gone viral.
The fashion industry has long been accused of discriminating against models of color.
Supermodel Naomi Campbell revealed some of her negative experiences in her book, “Naomi. Updated Edition.”
Campbell made history as the first Black model to make the cover of French Vogue in 1988. But all wasn’t good behind the scenes.
“When I first started out, Linda (Evangelista) and Christy (Turlington) were both really supportive. I wasn’t being booked for certain shows because of the color of my skin. For whatever reason, those designers simply didn’t use Black girls; I didn’t let it rattle me. From attending auditions and performing at an early age, I understood what it meant to be Black,” she wrote.
“You had to put in the extra effort. You had to be twice as good. When I first went to castings in London, I saw a lot of girls who took rejection badly. I didn’t necessarily know them, but I told them exactly what my mother told me: don’t take it personally, because that’s just the nature of the business.”
