In exceptional black girl news, we have two amazing stories to share.
The first is about Kyemah McEntyre, the New Jersey teen who was made famous last year for designing a dashiki-inspired dress for prom. While she wasn’t the most popular girl in school, the internet loved the gown; and apparently so did the fashion world.
In addition to being a student at Parsons School of Design in New York and having a capsule line of her own, the 19-year-old will be featured in three major magazines. “Your girl has a full feature in Glamour Magazine, Allure Magazine aaaand Vogue for the celebration of natural hair and natural beauty,” she announced on Instagram.
McEntyre’s feature will be a part of Dove’s #LoveYourHair campaign, where she shows off her beautiful afro. “Woah there. That’s me, flexing my curls and natural face on page 84, in Glamour Magazine. Dove got it right, #LoveYourHair,” she said in another Instagram post.
Next, up is the remarkable Cliffanie Forrester, an 18-year-old NYC-based artist who’s work is being featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“This piece was inspired by a missionary trip I took last summer,” Forrester said in a statement about her oil-canvas painting on the Met’s website.
Adding, “When I was creating Uganda I struggled to re-create the color scheme and contrasts from my references. I fused the background with the foreground in cool tones so that references I used appear seamless in the painting. I was pleased with the results. I am appreciative of the skills I thought I never had.”
Forrester is currently a senior at the High School of Art and Design in New York City, and her work is a part of the P.S. Art 2016: Celebrating the Creative Spirit of NYC Kids exhibition open until October 23.