Hollywood is becoming more accepting of black people’s hair. There are several red-carpet events where A-list celebrities like Viola Davis, Kerry Washington and Yara Shahidi have walked the carpet in their natural hair.
With the introduction of the CROWN Act, more people will be empowered to wear their hair in any traditional natural hairstyle they so please without being discriminated against, although it hasn’t been implemented nationwide yet.
Any win in the natural wave is a win for all and this time Pose star Angelica Ross brought one home for the culture.
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I asked @LouisVuitton if I could rock my natural hair in an Afro and they came back with an enthusiastic YES ?✊? RBF on ? pic.twitter.com/sbOpPkTDkT
— A N G E L I C A (@angelicaross) January 22, 2020
The American Horror story: 1984’s star was featured in the Pre-Fall 2020 collection for Louis Vuitton. This collection pays homage to old school horror and science fiction books.
The ad features Ross and her other American Horror Story: 1984 castmates, Jaden Smith and Gugu Mbatha-Raw and a few others.
As a Black trans woman, Ross is shattering glass ceilings and breaking through the fashion and beauty industry through ad campaigns.
In an interview with Hello Beautiful, Ross admits she was elated to be added to the campaign not as a gimmick for inclusion but for her work as an actor as she realized her other American Horror Story co-stars were also present.
The initial hair for the campaign was not an Afro, to be honest. She says the stylist wanted to put her in a wig that was teased it out to give it a bigger fuller look.
Ross then said, “Well, couldn’t you just do that with my hair?” Then he asked, “You’d be comfortable with us doing that?” I told him, “I’d prefer it.”
The stylist consulted those in charge at Louis Vuitton and returned saying, “let’s do this together.” Ross went on to say, “Make it as big as you can do it! Let’s do it for the culture!”
Louis Vuitton | Pre-Fall 2020 pic.twitter.com/6j2xcQitGb
— A N G E L I C A (@angelicaross) January 22, 2020
When asked how it felt to be liberated on set enough to do this, especially as a Black trans woman, she said,
“To be a trans woman and not need a wig or for my hair to be pressed? To be in this natural state and to sit in this androgynous way. It was everything.
“They even binded down my boobs girls! They gave me this thin binder, but I got what they were going for, so I went with it.
“Honestly, I felt powerful as hell! I think that’s what came across in the ad—a confident, quiet power. I didn’t need too much flexing.”
I ❤❤❤❤❤!!! SO many positive emotions wrapped up in my joyful tears. So so happy. https://t.co/cwcTMkBAod
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) January 23, 2020
Ross says she is black and proud in every way. She was glad a dark-skinned, 4C haired, trans woman got her moment with a big brand like Louis Vuitton that has a known history of working with dark-skinned models and a knack for diversity and inclusion.
“This is really about breaking even more barriers for dark-skinned Black women and dark-skinned Black trans women.
“That, and seeing Black folks tag me on social media, who aren’t even in the LGBTQ movement, saying that I’m doing for the culture, matters.
“I really need my community to know that I am Black first, but that doesn’t cancel out my queerness or my transness.”
To Ross, this ad is a big win for natural hair as well as the trans community at large.
Go sis go!!! Slaying the photo, breaking down barriers for trans women, dark skinned black women, and natural hair all at once! I’m constantly in awe of you. ? https://t.co/aGAQCicGsZ
— Dyllón Burnside (@dyllonburnside) January 22, 2020
