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My dusky skin colour defines me, says model Mushk Kaleem

She hit back at colourism in the industry, saying: "If you need to whiten me up, don't consider me for your shoots."

17 Jun, 2019

It's 2019 and we're still battling colourism.

And model Mushk Kaleem is just as exhausted and baffled as we are.

She posted on Instagram that she will not longer entertain clients who ask her to 'whiten up' for shoots. Can we just say #DarkAndProud?

"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."

Comments

Newborn Jun 17, 2019 02:53pm

It's not what she wants, it's what the public wants, and they want fair skin models. Unfortunate, but a reality.

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HashBrown® Jun 17, 2019 03:45pm

Awesome. Simply awesome. A lot of us really don't realise how pathetic our skin complex is in the eyes of the rest of the world. It's not just Pakistan, but across all of South Asia - and in fact the Far East as well as Africa and the Caribbean. Billions and billions of people, injecting their faces, rubbing potions over themselves, hiding out of the sun, all so that they can look white. And then we wonder why we get no respect from the rest of the world. Who gets respect when they're literally unhappy in their own skin? Very, very proud of you, Mushk. And by the way, for what it's worth, you're gorgeous as well.

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Shah Jun 17, 2019 05:30pm

@Newborn Forget fair skin; she is BEAUTIFUL!

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Bashir khan Jun 17, 2019 06:02pm

Fighting against social racist norms.

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Tauseef Jun 17, 2019 06:14pm

She is absolutely right we as a country are obsessed with white skin even though our brown skin is beautiful, this is a big problem in our society. From mom's looking for white skin girls to marry their boys too. We need to change this if we want a healtheir society.

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fairplay Jun 17, 2019 06:35pm

@Newborn reality is defined by us, hence what was okay in the past needs to be changed, no problem. She is correct!

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fairplay Jun 17, 2019 06:36pm

@Newborn she is happy with her skin, no need for what you and I think.

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venkob Jun 17, 2019 06:39pm

How can she say Dusky color. This is completely unacceptable. Right Arab dissidents?

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Faisal Jun 17, 2019 07:41pm

This is sad. Sidebar: just scrolled through her instagram and wondering why she posts about money so often? Also when will people stop celebrating “hustling”? As a famous man once said: SAD.

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Pakamat Jun 17, 2019 08:11pm

Where is the diversity I see all around our country being reflected in our media? When we travel overseas we expect to be treated equally but do we treat dark skinned people here the same? I think it's about time we grow up as a nation.

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hamza khan Jun 17, 2019 08:29pm

shes gorgeous!

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N_saq Jun 17, 2019 11:12pm

I don't get this statement "Kaleem didn't hold herself back to call out the clients who'd rather opt for a 'pretty' face than hire a dark model". To me she is pretty in fact very pretty. Have people not heard that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder? To some white is beautiful and to some dark is beautiful. so basically the heart wants what the heart wants.

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Nasiroski Jun 18, 2019 04:52am

You go Girl!!!!

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Faisal Jun 18, 2019 05:51am

She looks pretty light skinned already.

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reader Jun 18, 2019 07:02am

Proud of you for having the courage to make your statement. You are beautiful !

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FRANK Jun 18, 2019 08:08am

She doesn't look 'dusky' to me. And fair skin has been the beauty norm in Pakistan for thousands of years.