WEEKLY NEWS 14
Breaking barriers: Amena Khan is the first ever hijab-wearing model to front a hair campaign
This story is about the representation of women in the media in terms of the hair and beauty industry and is from the newspaper, the Evening Standard.
Recently, the hair care company, L'Oréal Paris Elvive had published a hair care campaign which featured for the first time a hijab- wearing model.
Amena Khan (the hijab-wearing model) featured in the advert is a successful beauty blogger and is the co-founder of the beauty brand 'Ardere Cosmetics'.
Amena is seen in the campaign wearing a pink hijab and is joined by a group of ambassadors and influencers such as Cheryl Cole, Dougie Poynter from McFly and many more.
"The decision to cast Khan isn't just history-making, it also marks a major step towards reversing a common misconception that because a woman doesn’t show her hair, she doesn’t care about her locks."
She said in an interview with vogue, "You have to wonder – why is it presumed that women that don’t show their hair don’t look after it?"
In a social media post she put, "“How many brands are doing things like this? Not many,” Khan tells Vogue. “They’re literally putting a girl in a headscarf - whose hair you can’t see - in a hair campaign. Because what they’re really valuing through the campaign is the voices that we have.”
L’Oréal Paris, which is the number one hair care brand in the UK, has a powerful voice with including such notions in their campaigns.
However, While Khan might wear a headscarf in public, she spends much of her day at home, surrounded by her family, not wearing a scarf.
The move is part of a wider trend in the beauty industry to move away from Eurocentric ideals of beauty and instead create campaigns and products that more accurately reflect and serve consumers.
In the past year alone we have seen the launch of inclusive beauty ranges such as Fenty Beauty, the casting of more diverse faces on the runway and in editorial - including the first hijab-wearing model to grace a Vogue cover - and a movement against the use of photoshop.
In my opinion,as well as beauty ranges/brands, improving the ways they sell their products by being diverse and inclusive to women of all colours and cultures, this story also marks a change in the way women are presented in the hair and beauty industry because it's not just their beauty that is captured but their culture.
However, according to numerous sources such as BBC News, Amena Khan had decided to quit working for L'Oréal Paris just days after saying she is the first hijab-wearing model to be part of mainstream advert for hair care because of a tweet she made in 2014.
It follows accusations that she expressed "anti-Israel" views in a number of tweets from 2014.
The tweets have now been deleted but in her post, Amena apologises for them, saying she's sorry for the "upset and hurt" they've caused.
Amena had hoped her role would inspire and empower other women who wear headscarves.
Earlier this month, she told Newsbeat: "It's a platform for diverse voices and women who don't fit the very narrow mould of beauty."
On the other hand, as well as some people praising her for what was able to do, many disapproved of her decision by sending her abuse on social media.
As well as those who were angry about her decision on social media, people from the Middle East and with Islamic religious beliefs may not accept this because they have strong beliefs such as women being covered up and are required to wear plain clothing that respect their religion even though we live in a modern, technological society.
Well written and not seen on mainstream media, however implement more of your opinion and comparisons.
ReplyDeleteYou've talked about what the article is representing, however you could have explored this more. It's a very detailed posting which includes your opinion. To improve this post you could have included more context
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