When I say beauty icons in Kenya you might think of Joanna Kinuthia, Dennis Karuri, or even Stephanie Cherono.
While they all deserve their flowers, I’d like to explore a group of rebellious outliers based in Nairobi who are challenging the identity of beauty in Kenya. They use beauty as an entryway into other avenues of self-expression. At the core of everything they do is authenticity and through that are singlehandedly putting Kenya in the eye line of the world.
Ashton Laurence
Afro-Caribbean creative entrepreneur Ashton Laurence is quickly becoming a fave beauty icon of mine. They sing, dance, and act all while donning the perfect wing and wig combo. I’ve always known Ashton to have a wing on at all times unable to comprehend any other version.
When they began performing they knew they needed to stand out and with the help of some friends wore their first-ever wing and birthed the Eyeliner Monarch persona.
“It became an alter ego for me and even the lyricism in my music was inspired by it”
It hasn’t been an easy journey though, “Masculinity isn’t makeup or fashion or flamboyance. I struggled to be true to myself but also wanted to please society. Ultimately I saw being accepted as inauthentic and stifling my creativity” Preach!
Ashton’s inability to be anything but themselves has invited so much prosperity for them. Their music career is on a steady rise, their stage persona has evolved into other offshoots all rooted in confidence and freedom and the makeup game just got stronger. “People ask me all the time if I’m a professional,” they joke.
Also, if you’ve been living under a rock you may have missed that Kenya hosted a Nicki Night courtesy of Ashton and the Wunderlust team. Not only did the Nicki Night go viral, but it also managed to make it all the way to the queen herself who reposted it on her page. None of this would have been possible if Ashton didn’t decide to persevere and remain true to themself regardless of what society would feel about it.
Jerry Benedict
Jerry Benedict is a fashion enthusiast and creative. I met Jerry on the set of a music video and was immediately drawn to the ease with which he moulded his body in front of a camera. His modelling style is unique, showing a more expressive side to masculinity.
He’s definitely carved an identity for himself though this came with its own baggage. “ You have to be built a certain way as a male model or else they won’t hire you. My struggle was my height and poses. I even got rejected for a shoot that was from the shoulders up. Like really?”. So what did he do next? “It just pushed me to find creatives aligned with my vision.” stating that he went out of his way to find his fellow visionaries.
If you’re not familiar with his page @barelyhermes, he does the most amazing and savage fashion reviews “If these are the people representing us globally then it’s only fair they do their best.” he says. “My friends and I could be thrifting pieces, stitching pieces together or calling each other up to swap to get a look together. It’s not the same for us.” he says. I couldn’t agree more. Smaller creatives lack access to the same capacities so many influencers have.
Does he have any regrets? Not likely “I have stylists DMing me telling me their clients want to look amazing so they don’t getcalled out. Even though I’ve lost jobs from it, it’s making them step up their game.”
Jamie Kimani
Makeup artist and fashion designer extraordinaire Jamie Kimani should already be in your sights. From working at MAC to starting his own fashion line Sevaria, there’s nothing he hasn’t conquered yet. Even though glitter was his first love as a child, he was cautious of the society we lived in. Years later when he was at fashion school he rekindled that passion again.
Nowadays you can see the most extravagant and camp makeup looks on his page. Definitely drawing inspiration from drag and traditional African culture the looks are loud and disruptive. He often pairs them with his own designs on models birthing an aesthetic empire all his own as he subverts gender norms.
All in a day’s work I guess. To think there’s a version of reality somewhere where he never pursued his love for makeup for fear of rejection is crazy.
One thing talking to these renegades showed me is that you have to take that leap of faith if you want to be seen. If that means you have to walk it alone for a while who cares? That’s a small price to pay to carve out a path so uniquely your own.
