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My dusky skin colour defines me, says model Mushk Kaleem
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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."
Images Staff
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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