Moj Mahdara and The Business of Fashion hosted The Business of Beauty Global Forum, during which the model openly discussed her own sexuality and how she handles the judgments that come with it.
Videos By Rare
Learning In Life
Mahdara asked Anderson how she manages to stay so determined and yet gentle in her life. Anderson replied: “I wanted to be in charge of my own sexuality and sensuality. I didn’t want other people to be in charge of that for me.”
Her connection with her own sensuality and self-image was formed from a very young age. She went on explain that “When it comes to beauty, I pretty much grew up at the Playboy mansion. I was surrounded by every kind of beautiful woman you could think of.”
Anderson watched the women’s looks and how they chose to carry themselves. “I wanted to be sexy too. I found that was powerful and interesting.”
Industry Reality
Anderson opened up about her beauty journey and the misogyny she faced while booking gigs in the industry. She recalled a moment when she was taken to a hotel meeting with a representative from a large makeup company, thinking she was auditioning.
“As being a Playboy [figure] people had the wrong idea. I just felt like I had to turn this around somehow and share some of the superficial attention with something more meaningful.”
She had a long list of criteria for the brands she worked with, but she eventually became more mindful of them. In 2005, MAC, a prominent brand, chose her as a spokesperson for their Viva Glam campaign, which raises awareness and money for HIV/AIDS research and programs.
“We’re all trying to make ourselves beautiful so we are respected, admired and loved, so these products have to come from a loving place,” she concluded.