#Fashion love story part 1 skin#
#Fashion love story part 1 professional#

'You’ve become so dark' after a trip away was a common criticism to be faced with fair skin carried currency.' Skin-lightening is a global issueįrom South Asia to China, the Middle East and Africa, skin-lightening is still big business. 'Relatives would dissuade me from going outdoors or warn me not to get tanned on holiday.

'Growing up, it was incredibly 'normal' to hear that fair skin was to be coveted,' recalls consultant dermatologist Dr Anjali Mahto. Speaking to other South Asians who work in the beauty industry, for me, has proven therapeutic. Preferences for light skin were still clearly evident in the UK, too: the sole Asian representative in a beauty campaign being almost always light skinned. There, adverts promoting fairness as the beauty ideal were commonplace. However, I soon realised that my experiences were quite unusual, highlighted when I’d observe the experiences of South Asian friends and when I’d go to Sri Lanka on holiday, (where my family is from). Growing up, I was extremely fortunate to have parents that didn’t buy into the fairness BS. It’s a mindset that is deep-seated in the South Asian community. It’s also not unusual to spot top Bollywood actors and actresses promoting these products. One notable example is the 'fairness' cream Fair & Lovely whose advertisements in India have historically implied that fair skin might help you meet the person of your dreams, or finally get that job you've always desired. The history of colourism in south Asian communitiesĬolonialism and the caste system are two of the reasons attributed to enduring colourist attitudes, as is the way skin colour is portrayed in the film industry, the media and by beauty brands. Sounds archaic, right? However, seeing one US-based participant on Indian Matchmaking casually list: 'not too dark' and 'fair skin' as a preferred 'want' in a potential partner was a stark reminder that colourism seems to be very much alive and kicking, even in my millennial generation. The connotations go far beyond the superficial.

#Fashion love story part 1 professional#

Push me so I can push too.') Why the word 'fair' is problematicĪs to why the word 'fair' is an issue? Short story: it is not just seen as a way to denote someone’s appearance, but a character trait, having become synonymous with a person’s place in society, their chances of professional success, status and self-worth. (Speaking to The Cut, Smriti Mundhra, the show's executive producer, said that she welcomes critique: 'We’re now at a point where we can actually hold representation to a higher standard and push for better and more nuanced stories.

These statements, some said, go unchallenged by Taparia, which could lead to the normalisation or affirmation of such views. As well as affecting those with darker complexions in south Asian communities, it should be noted that attitudes such as these can lead people down a dangerous road to anti-Blackness. The latter is seen when some participants request a match with 'fair' skin.

Criticisms levied by certain members of the Indian diaspora on Twitter include that some of the show's participants engage in caste-discrimintion, mostly using euphemistic terms ('from a good family', 'similar backgrounds'), as well as colourism (a prejudice or discrimination towards those with dark skin that usually occurs within the same ethnic group). As you might know, the docu-series follows ‘Mumbai’s top matchmaker,’ Sima Taparia, as she helps a range of single people in India and the US, with the help of their families, find their future wife or husband.