Maria Borges has been modeling, as in, officially signed and hitting the catwalks, since 2012. However, it took Borges stepping out in a very interesting way for her to move from being seen as just any other model of color to being an It Girl.
In 2015, the Angolan beauty stomped down the runway for the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show rocking a TWA after years of wearing a flowing weave down the runway. After 20 years worth of shows, Borges was the first woman to appear at a VS Fashion Show with a natural ‘fro. Standing out in such a way has been the best thing for Borges, who has since continued to walk in high-profile shows with her TWA, become the face of L’Oreal and redefine what a model looks like. That’s probably one of the reasons ELLE selected her to appear, along with five other models, on their May issue, which highlights the top catwalk snatchers out right now.
Inside the issue, Borges talked about the increase in representation of Black women in the fashion industry. “The fashion industry is here for everyone, [regardless] of color or race,” she said. “When I was growing up, I never saw someone like me, and now the other girls can see someone like them. It’s all about inspiration.”
Speaking of representation, Borges isn’t the only beautiful Black woman of color on the cover of the May issue. Jasmine Tookes, also a standout at Victoria’s Secret fashion shows, snagged one:
Tookes spoke openly about what she’d like to do outside of modeling. Her next big goal still has a lot to do with beauty and yes, representation.
“My goal has always been to create my own beauty line,” Tookes told the magazine. “I have such a unique skin tone—when I go on set, makeup artists have to use all different mixes of makeup to match my skin. I’d love to do a line that has tones for everybody.”
Both ladies look fabulous! Check out their covers, along with ones featuring Bella Hadid, Elsa Hosk, Candice Huffine and Hailey Baldwin. They all hit newsstands on April 18.
Images via Instagram/Elle
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