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Stunning Photographs Reimagine Disney Princesses as Black Girls

by viralbandit June 26, 2020, 5:01 pm 2.2k Views

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“Princess Amethyst,” inspired by Rapunzel

Thanks to a collaborative effort between makeup artist and hairstylist LaChanda Gatson and CreativeSoul Photography, Disney princesses have been beautifully reimagined as young Black girls. Aptly called Princess Series, the stunning portraits feature the girls made up from head to toe to capture the essence of characters like Snow White and Ariel. But Gaston, who also provided creative direction, gave the subjects their own style and reference to culture; their outfits are complete with gorgeous accessories and couture-style gowns that are more dazzling than the characters they reference.

The Princess Series was created with the goal of inspiring “more girls around the world to start seeing themselves as regal princesses.” Gaston created the concept for it many years ago—when she was a kid, in fact. “The idea was developed early on in childhood from the consistent lack of representation of Black children in almost all forms of media where children play a significant part,” she tells My Modern Met. “Even though I loved watching and reading fairytales and fantasy, I would often reimagine these characters more relatable to me and my culture.”

“These princesses were reimagined from a collection of fictional princesses and global fairytales,” Gaston explains, “ones I grew to love throughout my years. I reimagined them as Black urban royalty. I chose a team of talented Black creatives and created the change I wanted to see.”

Ultimately, Gaston hopes the striking series will help to inspire change. “I hope this series is just the beginning of endless opportunities for inclusion and more Black creativity in fantasy. Let’s continue to have a conversation and understand that our children matter too.”

CreativeSoul Photography is selling the portraits as prints. They’re now available on their website.