adminLOS ANGELES. — The 95th Academy Awards came and went but some things are still making headlines.
Alongside a parade of custom-made gowns, head-turning beauty looks were showcased by the likes of Halle Bailey, Danai Gurira, Janelle Monae, Angela Bassett, Tems and Rihanna, illuminated by the camera flashbulbs.
Representative of a significant pillar of Black glamour, the looks these women chose served as a platform for the creativity behind Black beauty.
It’s particularly poignant post-#Oscarssowhite, the conversation started by activist and writer April Reign in 2016, highlighting the fact that out of 20 actors nominated that year, none were people of colour.
Most jaw-dropping at the 2023 Oscars was Gurira, the Zimbabwean actress whose sculptural bubbled silhouette represents the pinnacle of Black beauty.
Paying homage to her heritage she shared: “This is my African self-coming out here . . . a tribute to the women who carry amazing things on their heads with an astounding poise at all times”.
The major hair moment was conjured up in collaboration with hairstylist Larry Sims using products from Flawless by Gabrielle Union.
Then there was the new Little Mermaid, Halle Bailey, who graced the event in a blue fairy-tale Dolce & Gabbana gown, with matching ice-toned make-up and a majestic up-do showcasing the beauty of her natural locks.
Another one to watch was a veteran of Black beauty ingenuity, the actor and singer Janelle Monáe, who posed with a monochromatic make-up look inspired by Black beauty icons of the ‘60s — crafted by make-up artist Keita Moore using Nars.
Monae’s hair look was also one for the books, with her cornrows held together at the back featuring beautifully woven silver thread for an added touch of luxe.
But no matter the event — from awards season to film premieres or the Met Gala — any high-profile red-carpet is a vital platform; the significance and impact that a celebrity’s look can have over the culture as a whole is astounding.
And while details may be missed by the naked eye, every gown by a Black designer, every hairstyle by a Black artist, every make-up product by a Black-owned beauty brand or look inspired by a past Black icon is not only a celebratory beacon, but a symbol of where the Black community has come from, our perseverance of today, and the strength needed for tomorrow.
Since the first red carpet was laid down in the late 1920s, we’ve had names such as Hattie McDaniel pave the way for other Black women.
As the first African-American actress to win an Academy Award in 1940 for her supporting role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind, still amidst segregation — having to sit at the back of the auditorium — she radiated in a turquoise dress with gardenias through her hair. — harpersbazaar.com
Online Reporter