Breaking the Societal Norms in the Beauty Industry

By Tiye Bracy|Published by March 31, 2021

We live in a world where presentation is everything and beauty is not just a six letter word, it can translate to perfection. For women, it means spending expenses on makeup, hair, and nails. We think of pretty as the new way of having to fit into what society says beautiful is. We are constantly looking for affirmations in others. Is my hairstyle okay? How do I look in this outfit? These are the many questions we are constantly asking to ourselves.

Abbey Christensen, Residential Assistant of Social Services opened up her panel discussion about how influencers on social media are detaching themselves for what is considered the standard of beauty. The Beauty without Boundary event took place online via Google Meet on February 28th at noon.

“The entire focus of this program is to highlight how people are shaking up the beauty industry and changing societal norms,” Christensen said. “Seeing everybody represented, people with disabilities…”

Christensen talks about her role models that she looks up to in the beauty industry.

Following that I talked about Khloe Kardashian’s Good American brand that features plus size models. Or Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty brand that showcases natural skin types and various melanins.

Christensen proceeds by mentioning her Top 5 social media influencers that are going against the grain.

First was Ashley Graham which is known for her plus size modeling.

“The first model I would like to highlight is actually one of my favorites, Ashley Graham,” Christensen said.  “She is a plus size model that actually has her own lingerie brand and swimsuit line that she made to be inclusive for everyone.”

Ashley Graham normalizes working moms and what it is like to be a mother in the middle of a pandemic.

The second social media influencer she mentioned was Iskra Lawrence who is a British straight model. She is known for modeling for Aerie, the American Eagle lingerie brand. She started modeling in her teenage years and wore a size zero to two typically. She has been open to the public about her constant battle from an anorexia eating disorder. She is an activist for body acceptance.

“As you can see by her images, she does alot of modeling, but she also lets you look into her life,” Christensen said. “She talks about period bloating, here she is breastfeeding her son.”

The third model she showcases is Winnie Harlow, which is known as a vitiligo model. The discoloration of the skin forms a beauty in its own way. She emphasizes on the importance of blocking out negative comments.

“For a while this was looked down upon and seen as revolting in the media and agencies,” Christensen said.

In today’s society, vitiligo is becoming more widely accepted. The modeling agencies are more versatile in their selection of models.

“She is a Canadian model, of Jamaican descent,” Christensen said.

The fourth model featured was Myla Dalbesio, she is up and coming known for her artist photography modeling. She is a happy medium size 10 model.

“She considered herself to be an in between body,” Christensen said. “Which means she’s not a plus size or in the super skinny spectrum.”

The last but not least model presented was Andreja Pejic, also known as an actress of German descent. She is a rebel in the LBQT community, as a transgender model. She is candid about her experience in the transgender realm.

“She was a male and in 2014 transitioned into being a female, and because of that she wasn’t accepted in a lot of places in the beauty industry,” Christensen said.

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