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Yara Shahidi is the gift that continues to give, even in a world that seemingly has little left to offer. The Grown-ish star recently graced the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, where she discussed everything from her multi-cultural background to her freeform expression and using it to promote and foster equality.

The lady in pink in Chanel Haute Couture, Yara’s shoot was everything glam as it was…well, Yara. For the cover she rocked this pink mini satin dress with embroidered tulle and feathers, and in other shots, she decadently hopped and danced in this pink embroidered faille dress and gloves, both Chanel Haute Couture Spring ’18. The kicker? She rocked her own tennis shoes with it.

Her whole shoot seemed to go with the “pretty in pink” theme, styled by Andreas Kokkino of The Wall Group. Though she’s only 18-years-old, the half African-American, half Iranian actress is showing the world just what beauty looks like through mixed cultures, which seemingly are not so different. While the interview in length is a great read, here were a few of our favorite parts:

On her personal mission statement:

Her mission statement, she says, “is to not have lived a self-centric life, ‘to be in a community, to be with people, and to help and broaden that community.'”

On using her background to educate instead of condone:

” [I] constantly put myself in a position to help other people understand my background. There’s a certain separatist movement happening versus understanding how connected we are. So much of what we believe stems from similar origins, so it means you can relate to one another if you really listen and pay attention.”

On the importance of education for girls:

Education is crucial because I understand the privilege I’ve had in how particular education has been to me. My realm of possibility seems so much larger.”

On finding understanding past one’s own insecurities:

“There’s so much happening and whether you look at culture or politics there’s so much to deal with just to get through the day, so this year has been reminding myself that I shouldn’t be preventing myself or putting up barriers for myself. You’re self-critiquing in a way, and I find myself doing that and it’s really unnecessary in a world where people already tell us what we should and shouldn’t do.”

To read more of Shahidi’s amazing story and this beautiful article, read it at Harper’s Bazaar Arabia.

DON’T MISS:

Yara Shahidi Hadn’t Slow Danced With A Boy Until Playing Zoey On Grown-ish

Yara Shahidi, This Is Why Your Response To Colorism On Grown-ish Is Problematic

Yara Shahidi Gives Us A Stunning Purple Eye On Jimmy Kimmel

 

 

For 2024’s iteration of MadameNoire and HelloBeautiful’s annual series Women to Know, we knew we wanted to celebrate the people who help make the joys of film and television possible. To create art is to create magic. This year, we spotlight Hollywood Executive’s changing the face of cinema.