The First Black Woman To Win Miss Universe Great Britain Talks Natural Hair, Pageantry & Purpose
It's 2018 and we are still encountering many "firsts" for women of color. First black woman to headline Coachella. First black woman to own a NASCAR team. First black woman to earn a PhD in nuclear engineering from MIT. First black woman to win the San Francisco mayoral election. The list goes on. One notable "first" took place earlier this month: Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers was crowned Miss Universe Great Britain – the first black woman to do so in over 66 years of the pageant's history.
Miss Universe Great Britain: Dee-Ann Kentish Rogers. Photo by Teresa Brooks.
Recently, Dee-Ann chatted with xoNecole to discuss her journey to pageantry, original aspirations to become an Olympic athlete, competing with natural hair, advice to her younger self, and everything in between. All hail the queen!
"I hope that my win will translate into a significant increase in the number of black woman entering Miss Universe Great Britain," Dee-Ann said, regarding her new crown. "My win says to them and woman of other ethnic background: Be bold, be courageous there is space for you in pageantry. Step into it and own it."
Long before Dee-Ann aspired to compete in Miss Universe Great Britain pageant, she had her sight set on a different competition: the Olympics.
"I was born in Antigua and spent most of my childhood running barefoot and climbing trees on Anguilla's beautiful shores. My mom was the soccer/volleyball/track/debate team mom and spent her time shuttling me from one extra curricular activity to another. I spent the vast majority of my time training to become an Olympic athlete for Great Britain and my determination allowed me to compete in the Commonwealth Games on two occasions and the World University Games three times as a heptathlete. Unfortunately, a knee injury at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland ended that dream prematurely."
Rather than let this devastating career blow keep her down, she found a new outlet for her competitiveness and a platform that would let her shine: pageantry.
"I looked for something else to channel my competitive energy into and in came pageantry on a shining white horse. My first attempt at pageantry was the Miss Anguilla pageant in 2017. After I won that crown, I caught the pageant bug and immediately began searching for another pageant."
Photo by Kev Wise.
Through her reign, Dee-Ann hopes to bring attention to a number of women's rights issues, including: fighting against female genital mutilation, ending acid attacks in India, supporting The Black Mambas, an all-female Anti-Poaching Unit, and providing programs for homeless women in Wales through the charity, A-Sisterhood.
Following in the footsteps of Miss Jamaica 2017, Davina Bennett, and taking another massive win for representation, Dee-Ann will compete with her natural hair and become the first Miss Universe contestant to compete with dreadlocks.
"I grew up with my natural afro frequently combed into two cornrows. My mother never allowed me to straighten my hair, even when I begged her. It was one of those decisions you become grateful for later on in life. As a student athlete, sometimes caring for my hair took up time I did not think I had. After researching dreadlocks, I decided it was something I wanted to do. I could trace my life journey through the knots in my hair. I made the decision not to change my dreads for the pageant because I felt it was important for young women to understand that they don't need to change themselves through enhancements in order to belong. Miss Universe has been edging close to crowning a natural hair woman."
"I could trace my life journey through the knots in my hair."
Photo by Zuri Wilkes.
Dee-Ann credits a lot of her success up to this point to the support and guidance of the strong black women in her family.
"My drive [is] to make the matriarch of my family - my late grandmother proud. For her, happiness came from seeing her children and grandchildren living their fullest lives. She grew up poor, working with her hands all her life but her ironclad determination allowed her to see her children succeed. As a fruit of her labour, I want to achieve everything she never got the chance to."
"My drive is to make my late grandmother proud."
Dee-Ann hopes her win will be a call to action for women of color to fearlessly pursue their dreams and to be more than a face in underrepresented spaces, but to be endearing and unwavering in their ambitions. "Do not to be afraid to reinvent your dreams. Life won't always pan out exactly as we plan but it always shifts course for a reason. Setbacks happen. Have the determination to stay focused and you will overcome."
6 Fun Facts About Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers:
- Favorite food? OXTAIL!
- Favorite song? "All the Stars" by SZA and Kendrick Lamar
- Favorite hair product?June Milnrow Jamaican Black Castor Oil Edge Freeze Gel (life saving!!!)
- Favorite hobby? Salsa dancing
- One place you want to travel? Cuba
- The thing you can't live without? Honestly, it's probably my phone (I can feel my mother's disapproving glance from here).
For more De-Ann, follow her on Instagram.
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Lydia is a recent Ivy League graduate who is passionate about using her voice to enact change in minority and female communities. Dubbed the "Intern Queen," she has worked 8+ internships in diverse industries, including Wall Street firms and the Obama White House, and is now bringing her career and lifestyle tips to you! Meet Lydia on Instagram @queen_of_anglin and Twitter @its_lit_dia.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
Courtesy
Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy