Embracing `BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL' - African American involvement in fashion industry, and consumer spending on apparel and beauty care products - Statistical Data Included

Black Issues in Higher Education, Jan 4, 2001 by Kendra Hamilton

African Americans have long had a seriously vexed relationship with the very notion of beauty. "We were stripped of everything -- all our tools, our rituals, our practices from the moment of our arrival on this continent," says Mikki Taylor, beauty director and cover editor of Essence magazine. "We were brought to a world that despised us as well as lusted after us and taught that we were naked."

And while some would argue that those conditions have not changed significantly, that African Americans are still despised yet lusted after -- and that the dynamic is particularly evident in media depictions of African American characters and culture -- others would say that a new day has definitely dawned.

The parameters of what's considered beautiful have expanded exponentially in a very short period of time.

"When we look at Jennifer Lopez, who has a large Hispanic behind, and that's considered sexy, that's a very far cry from where we were 20 years ago," says Mark-Evan Blackman, chairman of the menswear department at New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology.

Blackman adds, "It's a wonderful time for African Americans in the fashion and beauty industries -- the best time certainly in contemporary American history."

After years in which there was a "profound stigma" associated with the very idea of having African Americans involved with the design process, "the market has undergone so many profound changes in the last 20 years that Black people have been able to position themselves to take advantage of many of the fruits of this industry," Blackman explains.

For the young folks, there's the undeniable influence of hip-hop, notes Robin Givhan, a former associate editor of Vogue magazine and current fashion editor of The Washington Post.

"That's something that arose from minority communities and that we feel a real sense of ownership in. Blacks have complete ownership of these labels -- or if not complete ownership, then at least creative control to the degree that they are reaping the financial benefits," she says.

And while the outlook is not as bright in the high-fashion world of the ateliers, change is evident there, too. Long-familiar labels like Willi Smith, for example, are now as accessible as the nearest T.J. Maxx store. Black designers -- such as Lawrence Steele of Milan and B. Michael of New York -- may be less familiar to shoppers living outside the fashion centers of this continent and Europe, but they are still forces to be reckoned with in the industry.

And there are many more men and women "doing incredibly wonderful work who don't have their own lines," Blackman adds. The head designers for cutting-edge labels such as Armani Exchange and Lafayette 148, for example, are Black. And the number of African Americans who are unsung but working diligently behind the scenes continues to rise.

"These are the kinds of things that aren't always publicized," Blackman says. "And yet this is where our strength historically has always been. Very few of us have the opportunity to get financial backing to the level that's necessary to launch major lines. But that doesn't mean that when the line gets launched, we're not in there pitching design ideas along with everyone else."

A PERIOD OF CELEBRATION?

Taylor considers this a period of celebration.

"This freedom that we have won today has been hard won. I absolutely think people are embracing the notion of `Black is beautiful' -- and I think we're better able to embrace it today than at any other time in this country. The '60s started the notion, but today I think we are truly living it."

Indeed, the rising tide of the booming economy has lifted everyone's boat. And with unemployment among African Americans hitting record lows, some of the extra cash -- indeed, some might cavil at the amounts -- has been going where it's traditionally gone: on adornment.

According to figures compiled by the Essence market research team, African Americans spend 25 percent more of their disposable income on personal care products than the general population. The percentages are small -- 1.5 percent for African Americans versus 1.2 percent for the general population -- but the dollar figures are more than just pocket change.

For example, retail sales of ethnic cosmetics -- including foundation, powder, blusher, concealer, lip coloring, eye makeup and nail care -- reached $291 million in 1999, a 22 percent increase over 1995's $238 million. By 2004, the figure is projected to balloon another 28 percent to $372 million.

Just as interesting -- or troubling -- is that women of color spend three times more on hair maintenance products than average. African Americans account for 30 percent of total hair product sales, a figure that translates into $1.6 billion in ethnic hair care sales annually.

According to Black Issues research, Blacks account for roughly 13 percent of the U.S. population and 14.5 percent of apparel spending. Meanwhile, they earn the lowest median income when compared to other racial groups -- $27,910 per household in 1999, compared to Whites at $44,366.