Hardison’s monumental life is on full display in Invisible Beauty
“I would always think of a Samurai when I would walk.” -Bethann Hardison
A pioneer who continuously pushed boundaries, Bethann Hardison is the subject of Invisible Beauty, an autobiographical (she is co-director) look at her trail-blazing life and her ongoing push for equal representation in the modeling and fashion industries. As one of the first high-profile Black models, Hardison gained widespread fame in the ‘70s and launched her own modeling agency in the mid ‘80s. Shortly after, she started the Black Girls Coalition (BGC) with fellow model and activist, Iman, to promote and support Black models. Invisible Beauty takes us behind-the-scenes of Hardison’s extraordinary journey, while appropriately following her in the present as she works on her memoir. The film features numerous interviews with a wide breadth of famous faces and impressive footage of turning-point moments that capture Hardison’s immense impact.
Invisible Beauty is directed by Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng (Halston). Tcheng has been editing and directing documentaries about the fashion industry for over ten years. His adept handling of the subject is on display here through sharp editing. He allows the glitz and glamor of fashion show archival footage, an abundance of designer photography, and, of course, the interviews with beautiful artists, to speak for themselves. As Hardison works on her memoir, she admits to being scared of facing memories and a lifetime of experiences. The film does an admirable job of presenting the challenges that Hardison created for herself, primarily in her relationship with her son and her various romantic partners, alongside the external challenges that she rallied up against.
One of the most powerful sequences is at the turn of the century, in the 00s, when Hardison began to see the industry’s progress of the ‘70s and ‘80s start to unravel. In response, Hardison helps curate the famous 2008 “All Black Issue” of Vogue Italia, hosts contentious town halls and press conferences calling for change, and subsequently writes open letters to the major fashion companies around the world, even targeting a few iconic designers individually, to call out their racism. All of these instances are captured movingly through raw footage and inspired testimonials.
From Studio 54 to Zendaya, Invisible Beauty traces Hardison’s journey and influence across time, locations, and people. The story is inspiring and eye-opening, a testament to Hardison’s iconic life that many are familiar with, but now many more will have the opportunity to learn about. Invisible Beauty will have you Googling numerous names and events to research even further into the subject matter. It is essential viewing for anyone who wishes to learn about the (lack of) racial diversity and changing landscape of the fashion industry across the last fifty years.
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Invisible Beauty opens in theaters on Friday, September 29th.
