Fashion model Mushk Kaleem posted on Instagram that she will not longer entertain clients who ask her to ‘whiten up’ for shoots.
“No, I’m not a pearlescent white-skinned girl, I’m dusky and bronze. To all the clients who book me for shoots and then expect me to douse myself in lighter makeup to make me look ‘acceptable for lawn’, I’d rather you not book me at all,” she wrote.
Kaleem added. “My skin colour defines me, it’s who I am, so if you feel like you need to whiten me up so that I match the ‘requirements of the brief, or the shoot’ or ‘because Lahoris have issues with dark models for summer lawn’ or whatever, please don’t consider me for your shoots.”
Kaleem didn’t hold herself back to call out the clients who’d rather opt for a ‘pretty’ face than hire a dark model.
“In the past few weeks I’ve had photographers and designers tell me that they’re only making my skin whiter ’cause ‘the brand can’t afford to get hate comments on luxury collections’ because ‘we need a pretty feel for the shoot,'” her post read.
“Book me because I look good in my own skin, if you want to Photoshop and edit my face till you wash out the dark of my skin, then find yourself a fairer model. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble. Thank you.”
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