INVISIBLE BEAUTY (Bethann Hardison Doc) - BSFF23 Q&A

"Invisible Beauty is a moving portrait of former model, agent, and activist Bethann Hardison. Directors Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng construct an original and uniquely intimate exploration of a life well lived and shine a light on an untold chapter in the fight for diversity and representation". - BlackStar Film Festial
I absolutely fell in love with Bethann. I wasn't really familiar with her, never knew Kadeem Hardison from "A Different World" had an illustriously famous Mom! I enjoy and appreciate what the fashion industry represents and I'm always up for being clued in; but I don't really follow it. Never been much of a magazine person, never been to a runway show. Every Gen X-er knows the Supermodels of the 80's, but I don't know who's hot now. And I certainly never realized that for a whole decade in the early 00's that black models were not being used for anything, anywhere 🤯. How did I miss this!?!
After the Fall of the Berlin Wall, a trend started with using Eastern European waif like girls in the Fashion Industry. Models like Iman, Naomi and Tyra who were hot, were no longer being featured and no new black models were being hired. It wasn't an oversight or underground knowledge. Agencies and Design Houses just flat out said, we don't want black models - Period.
Bethann came about in the 70's. She didn't actually set out to be a model, but she traveled in the right circle of creatives and found herself being a trend setter, working with the best design houses around the globe. Opening the doors for many black models. Later, she unprecedentedly created her own unbelievably successful modeling agency, where she employed all races and nationalities and got them paid! She was already retired, when her colleagues called for her to come back to the scene and right this racial discrimination.
The film also explore her relationship with Kadeem and just her overwhelming energy and ability to mother/mentor everyone around her, yet no one really knows her deeply.
I absolutely love this documentary and will add it to my Top10 list for 2023!
#BSFF23 #KadeemHardison #BethanHardison #fashion #models #documentary