Nykhor Paul, a South Sudanese model, recently put the White fashion industry on blast in an Instagram post. In her post, Paul stated:

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?”

Paul is absolutely right. It is ridiculous that she has to bring her own makeup to the show. There’s no reason that makeup artists shouldn’t have makeup for all skin colors as it is their job to be prepared for any type of makeup situation and there are makeup options for women with dark skin tones. Plus, by doing this, makeup artists are effectively saying that Black models don’t exist (and they may believe, consciously or unconsciously, that it’s not possible for Black women to be models because if they did believe that Black women can be and are models, then they would a have a range of makeup that suits all skin colors), that Black models are less than White models and that Black models aren’t worth their (the makeup artists’) time, effort, money and professionalism.

 Ugh, what a major case of microagressions at its best/worst.