Standing at a statuesque 5’10, with a flawless melanin enriched complexion, cheekbones designed by the ancestry of West Africa and a perfectly cropped Afro, the British Ghanaian beauty, Philomena Kwao is the perfect canvas and model for the fashion industry. Her regal unapologetic natural beauty reflected on billboards, magazines and major fashion campaigns around the world has led her to be one of the most sought after young curvy models.
Throughout her burgeoning career, Philomena has graced the pages of the most coveted publications in fashion. In 2016 she was the only African American model alongside Ashley Graham for the Sports Illustrated”Swimsuits For All” #swimsexy groundbreaking AD by Joe Dziemianowicz. She has adorned other mainstream magazines such as NY Times, Essence, Cosmopolitan UK, Pride Magazine UK, USA Today and global campaigns for MAC, Torrid, Lane Bryant, Nordstrom and Evans UK.
A born leader and young social provocateur, Kwao is a staunch advocate for representation in fashion and often candidly about embracing her natural state of beauty and encourages young girls, to transcend the narrow and often exclusionary beauty standards perpetuated by the fashion industry. An avid writer, Philomena has also lent her voice to the issue of diversity in the beauty industry. In her powerful piece, ‘Is my black not beautiful’, she emphasized the need for change in the portrayal of beauty, especially in the cosmetics industry, where women of color, more specifically women of darker skin tones are left behind. An unwavering philanthropist at heart, Philomena primarily advocates for issues around maternal health and woman’s rights. Currently she is the global ambassador working with Women for Women International.
Standing at a statuesque 5’10, with a flawless melanin enriched complexion, cheekbones designed by the ancestry of West Africa and a perfectly cropped Afro, the British Ghanaian beauty, Philomena Kwao is the perfect canvas and model for the fashion industry. Her regal unapologetic natural beauty reflected on billboards, magazines and major fashion campaigns around the world has led her to be one of the most sought after young curvy models.