COLOUR YOUR WORLD

WITH

NOIR THE AGENCY

6 models from noir the agency and i headed to auckland city's commercial bay to literally bring colour into the cbd. until recent years, i would never see models of colour on billboards or store campaigns in central auckland.

AOTEAROA IS A MELTING POT OF DIVERSE CULTURES AND ADVERTISING IN COMMERCIAL SPACES SHOULD REFLECT THIS.

MUCH LIKE THE MANY PASSERBY'S & SHOPPERS WHO STOPPED US TO LEARN ABOUT OUR MODELS AND AGENCY; AOTEAROA IS also READY TO EMBRACE MODELS OF COLOUR.

our models shared what being a model of colour means to them & the importance of this representation in the fashion & beauty industries.

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE TEAM AT COMMERCIAL BAY.

LOCATION: commercial bay, auckland city

creative director, Photography

& make up:

Chichi nyangoni

Models:

awer yout

favour ukah

frances bureta

kudzai biri

masego wilford

samuel gak

Being a Model of Colour means owning what makes me different with confidence. This boils down to loving and accepting my body type, from my walk, to my larger than life, laugh. The camera sees everything and body language gives anything away, that gives incentive to rid myself from feelings of inferiority and insecurities. Confidence and self-acceptance demand space, there is no room for negative-self perception. This will give whoever is watching, similar or different to me the boldness to be bold in how they were made.

Discovering the agency was Black-owned was a shock, even though I could see Chichi's name signed off, I made excuses that maybe some Europeans were very creative with naming. I don't want it to be a shock anymore that people of colour are occupying different spaces. Aspects of my appearance that faced adversity growing up, which society is embracing or even desiring is still registering to me. Though, the media has begun desiring these features, they are still not necessarily desired on a person of colour.

I want to be part of a movement that represents for a generation that does not have to live with the transition of finally being accepted, but normalising appearances of people like them in mainstream pop culture.

I recently discovered I have a curved spine, it is visible when I show my back but hidden until I bring it up. As if I could not get any different. But I want to own all of it. I will be that model with the curved spine, but can lift twice her body weight, with melanin skin, and be under the typical desired 5'7 height. I will be petite but curvy, with my luscious lips, and 4C hair. I will continue loving and embracing my body for it is the home I will live and die in. I will be the beholder of my own beauty.

Being part of NOIR has been awespiring and a revelation that I have to be what I promote, which is self-accepting, I need to embody that. We live in a world where beauty comes in various shapes, colours, and sizes I cannot imagine why we would want people to look the same, how boring that would be.

A space has been created where it is safe and promoted to be me. Being a Model of Colour is a challenge to accept all parts of myself with grace, and kindness, and I accept the challenge.

- Kudzai Biri