When fashion designer Moto Guo sent models down the runway with visible acne at his show yesterday, the headlines started streaming in. "Acne Is Cool Now!" "The Hottest Accessory Is Pimples!" and "Are Pimples The Newest Runway Trend?" Many took this move as the fashion world being, well, fashun — and maybe it was. But to us, there's a greater discussion that needs to be had.
As the industry moves toward becoming more inclusive, "imperfect" skin is still a trait that continues to be stigmatized — even though according to the American Academy of Dermatology, acne is the most common skin condition in the U.S., affecting over 50 million Americans. While the marks in the show appear to be the real deal (but were likely enhanced with makeup), the visibility is important to someone struggling with acne and only seeing images of perfection in the media and magazines.
Guo's known for stretching what's acceptable in fashion and is now further pushing the boundaries in beauty. Through his choice of makeup (or lack thereof), he gave representation to a condition that's largely ignored.
While Guo's reasoning to showcase real skin in his show isn't fully clear, it would be a missed opportunity — and even hurtful to those who are struggling with acne — to immediately take this as a joke. Will pimples now get the fashion stamp of approval? Probably not, but it's nice to see this sort of representation on something as public as a runway — be it enhanced or not.
We've reached out to the makeup artist for more information and will update this story when we hear back.
The grown-up guide to dealing with acne. Read more from The Acne Diaries here.
The grown-up guide to dealing with acne. Read more from The Acne Diaries here.