Sudanese model blasts fashion world for being racist

Nykhor Paul, a 25-year-old old Sudanese model who has walked the runways for major brands including Rick Owens, Vivvienne Westwood, Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton took to Instagram on Monday to express her frustration with make-up artists and the fashion industry in general.

In the insta-outburst, Nykhor wrote:

“Dear white people in the fashion world! Please don’t take this the wrong way but it’s time you get your [censored] 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!

Don’t try to make me feel bad because I am blue black, it’s 2015, go to MAC, Bobbi Brown, Makeup Forever, Iman Cosmetics, Black Opal, even Lancôme and Clinique carry them plus so much more.

There’s so many options out there for dark skin tones today. A good makeup artist would come prepared and do their research before coming to work because oftentimes, you know what to expect especially at a show!

Stop apologising, 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 booked as a black model and I’m definitely super tired of apologising for my blackness.

Fashion is art, art is never racist, it should be inclusive of all people not only white people, [censored], we started fashion in Africa and you modernize and copy it! Why can’t we be part of fashion fully and equally?”

It’s ludicrous that in this day and age racism can still be experienced, and especially on the runway, this reminds me of the Junya Wantabe, the Japanese designer who held an African Themed Fashion show last month (June 26^th 2015) but had Zero black models walking on the runway! (The Nerve!)

I applaud Nykhor for being vocal on the issue; let’s just hope this will not have her shunned from the industry.

Nykhor fled South Sudan as a child and later migrated to US.

Besides working as model, she is a devoted humanitarian and has worked with the International Rescue Committee on projects directed towards the violence in South Sudan.