Guest Commentator: Adeline Koh, Ph.D., Founder & CEO, Sabbatical Beauty @adelinekoh
Are there any issues in the beauty industry you feel are not being adequately addressed?
When I was a young woman of 19 growing up in Singapore, I interned at a local fashion magazine. I was struck by how every single model that was featured in the magazine was either white, or partly white and partly Asian. When I asked the fashion editor why she had made this choice, she – not a white person herself – said that “local girls” didn’t photograph as well.
Fast forward to when I arrived in the United States as a Ph.D. student. Flipping through cable television, I was struck by how every woman looked the same: thin, blonde and white. The message that I heard was that not only did I have to become white to be considered beautiful in the United States, but I had to become thin and blonde too.
These little anecdotes demonstrate two things: that for a very, very long time, the beauty industry’s concept of beauty has been dominated by whiteness and white ideals, and that these white ideals are considered the only standards of beauty, even if you’re not in a majority-white country.
Fast forward twenty years. Has there been much change? Some might say yes. Look at the success, for example, of the Dove “real beauty” campaign, launched in 2004 featuring “real women” vs. photoshopped images of models. Look also, for another example, at Rihanna’s launch of Fenty Beauty in 2017, which came out with a then-unthinkable 50 shades of foundation during their launch. Fenty sold these glossy sticks in a panoply of colors to the tune of 72 million in their first month. These strong sales are clearly indicative that people are hungry for more.
But have these few interventions been enough? No. They have not been. When I step into a big beauty retailer today, I am usually glad to see a token face or two that isn’t thin, blonde and white. But brown, black and larger bodies are rarely the main character in these displays. They usually still play the “supporting character” meant to add token diversity to the usual thin, blonde and white format. Correspondingly, a simple flip through any established glossy magazine will still show an emphasis on thin, white or white adjacent models with European features. Occasionally we will see a person of color in that space, but they still either be extremely thin, or have European features. Usually both.
As the founder and owner of a small beauty brand, I call on the beauty industry to do better for the very people that we serve, our customers. For over a hundred years, the beauty industry has made its customer feel inadequate in order to sell its products. Buy this cream because you look old. Buy this serum so that your skin looks fairer. Buy this cellulite cream, so that you’ll look thinner. Buy this, this and that, because you’re not enough. And with token nods towards diversity, we’re still saying, Buy our stuff, so you can look like the mainstream ideal of beauty – or like its cute best friend.
This isn’t enough. Our customers are saying so, loud and clear. And those who are willing to listen, and offer expanded concepts of what beauty is, and what it can be, are poised to change the industry. It is time to break the mold. It is time to radically transform what beauty means.
What do you consider the most valuable aspect of your Chamber membership so far?
Being able to be in a room (virtual or in person) with very talented people who are open to actually connecting with and hearing, seeing and helping you has been a tremendous gift, and the most valuable aspect of the membership. The vibe of helpfulness and cooperation is rare, and very much appreciated.
