• by Sara Guaglione , August 28, 2020

Elle has debuted “The State of Black Beauty,” a new franchise on Elle.com dedicated to the intersection of beauty and Black culture.

"The State of Black Beauty" will feature visuals, stories, videos, audiograms, letters and covers dedicated to the Black community.

In an introduction to the franchise, beauty director Chloe Hall said “the Black girl coalition” at Elle.com (assistant editor Nerisha Penrose, video producer Angel Lenise and Hall) came together in January to create an editorial package focused on “the joy and beauty of our communities.”

Actress Tracee Ellis Ross graces the cover of Elle.com's inaugural “State of Black Beauty” package. 

Ross discusses “how she reframed the Black hair narrative” while on the journey to create haircare line Pattern Beauty, in an interview with actress Kerry Washington.

Ross’ photoshoot was led by an all-Black team.

“When Black people are given the space to share their stories, magic abounds. And while inclusive storytelling has always been central to our mission, it requires something extra to keep Black beauty centered in a world calibrated for whiteness,” Hall wrote.

What makes the franchise “special,” Hall added, is that “it was made for Black people, by Black people.”

Other content produced for the franchise includes audio recordings of women sharing the microaggressions they have faced for their hair styles in corporate America.

Activists, actresses, politicians and thought leaders were interviewed about their personal relationships to beauty.

Photographers Katherine and Mariel Tyler captured the Bronner Bros. International Beauty Show, “where pivotal Black hair trends are born,” Hall wrote.