On Thursday, Elle.com presented its inaugural installment of The State of Black Beauty, a franchise that the publication describes as “a continuous exploration and a destination for good looks at the intersection of black culture.”For her debut, Tracee Ellis Ross stars in a series of (frankly impressive) photographs photographed through Djeneba Aduayom and designed through Shiona Turini.Ross also speaks candidly about the issue of the good looks of blacks and the project of his own hair care company, Pattern, in an interview with Kerry Washington.(The duo met through Zoom, a few days before their individual appearances as hosts of the Democratic National Convention, notes a press release from Elle.com.)
Ross’s photo shoot was conducted by an all-black team, which included photographer Aduayom and stylist Turini, as well as hairdresser Araxi Lindsey, who provided the artistic direction of the session and also made his own makeup, just in case no longer transparent how flexible he is.
Along with the Pattern project and the importance of their lifestyles in the good-looking market, Ross said in Washington: “It started as a non-public date with my own hair, and the feeling that I didn’t have the help to locate what I was looking for.No, only in terms of products, but in terms of how to love myself …There was a void, either to see us in our original and herbal appearance, and also to have products that allowed us to taste ourselves based on herbs, to use it as herbal it came out of our heads.”
It is exactly those types of conversations – and much more – that Elle.com’s State of Black Beauty will continue to explore, striving to bring much needed visibility to black good looks in mainstream media. Elle.com Beauty Director Chloe Hall, along with Nerisha Penrose and Angel Lenise, has created a running franchise that will continue to highlight black good looks designers and celebrate the complex good looks of Blackness.
“The thing about Black Beauty is that it’s endless.There are no restrictions on stories that can and can be told.They can’t be contained in a single factor or a month of the calendar year,” Hall wrote in his advent to the franchise.”This is our commitment: the good black looks are and will be in the middle of everything we do in Elle.com.We will release images, stories, videos, audiograms, letters and blankets committed to our community.As editors, writers, producers, friends, and sisters, it is our task to continue to tell those stories and use our platform to magnify our stories and those of our community.”
In addition to Ross’s article, the first factor in State of Black Beauty also features audio testimonials from genuine women talking about the microagresions they faced because of their styling choices. In the feature film, Mariel and Katherine Tyler, known professionally for their portrait photography such as The Tyler Twins: Percentage of a Photographic Report by The Bronner Bros Beauty Show 2020, an annual occasion that showcases the good appearance of black hair since 1947.
To stay up-to-date on the status of black good looks at Elle.com, read Hall’s full advent here. In the gallery below, see all the photos from Ross’s photoshoot on Elle.com.
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The actress and founder of Good Look also posted a private message to enthusiasts about Pattern’s “Phase 2” and the importance of celebrating Blackness’s good looks.
Meet Pattern through Tracee Ellis Ross, a hair care product “especially for curly, curly and textured hair”.
Well done, Kerry Washington.
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