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MLK Library is excited to welcome legendary model turned activist Bethann Hardison and Director Frederic Tcheng as we kick off Black History Month with a special screening of INVISIBLE BEAUTY.
Library lovers, aspiring models, fashion entrepreneurs, and the like are invited to join us for this special showing of Invisible Beauty - a documentary about the life and career of Bethann Hardison, followed by a panel discussion to celebrate the arts this Black History Month. We hope the film inspires others to have the determination and commitment to continue the conversation of inclusivity and equity in their respective industries.
Join us as the Director Frederic Tcheng and Bethann talk about working on the film and how we can continue this journey to equitable and inclusive industries.
This program is supported by the DC Public Library Foundation.
For reasonable accommodations, please contact the Center for Accessibility at 202-727-2142 or DCPLaccess@dc.gov. For ASL or tactile interpretation, please allow at least seven (7) days notice.
Through rich archival material, Invisible Beauty revives the energy of several decades of New York City’s cultural life: The liberating 60s with its “Black is Beautiful” mantra, Hardison’s first test shoot with Bruce Weber in 1969, her iconic turn at the Battle of Versailles in 1973, Studio 54, the 1980s downtown art scene with friends Keith Haring and Basquiat, the Black Girls Coalition in 1988 — and never-before-seen raw footage of Hardison’s 2007 town hall meetings that shook the fashion industry by sounding the alarm about diversity. Hardison fearlessly reveals the intimate details of her personal journey as a single mother, a Black owner in a white industry, a fierce truth teller and relentless believer in the power of racial integration. The results of Hardison’s efforts are evident today. The Council of Fashion Designers of America recognized Hardison’s transformative role with a Founder’s Award in 2014. But for Hardison, the battle isn’t over. Black models seem to have secured their place in front of the lens, yet work remains for diversity behind the scenes. In 2018, Hardison founded the Designers Hub to develop resources for emerging Black designers. In 2020, the fashion industry was shaken to its core by the Black Lives Matter movement. Every brand, institution and leader was faced with reevaluating their relationship to race. Hardison, now an advisor to the CFDA and Gucci, speaks at the center of the conversation. With five decades of experience, Hardison finds herself in a unique position, between establishment power players and a new generation of changemakers demanding systemic justice.
About Bethann Hardison
Advocate, model, and muse—with a career spanning over five decades, Bethann Hardison has gone from working in New York City’s Garment District to founding her namesake agency where she guided the careers of some of the most prominent models in the world. In 1988, she founded the Black Girls Coalition, and in 2013, she spearheaded the launch of the Diversity Coalition sparking an industry-wide movement for diversity and inclusion. In recognition of her decades of advocacy work, Bethann received the CFDA’s Founder’s Award in 2014. In 2018, with the support of the CFDA, she founded The Designer’s Hub to guide and empower Black designers, and in 2019 became an inaugural member of Gucci’s Changemakers Council. Bethann currently serves on the CFDA’s Board of Directors and as Gucci’s Executive Advisor for Global Equity and Cultural Engagement.
Frédéric Tcheng is a French-born filmmaker based in Brooklyn, New York. He coproduced and co-edited Valentino: The Last Emperor, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was shortlisted for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards. He is the co-director of the acclaimed documentary Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel, which the New York Times called “dizzily enjoyable.” His award-winning directorial debut Dior and I premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and was released by The Orchard. His film Halston was executive produced by CNN Films and premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. He has served as a filmmaking mentor for Queer Art, a non-profit arts organization in New York that serves a diverse community of LGBTQ+ artists across generations and disciplines. He studied engineering in France and is a graduate of the film program at Columbia University’s School of the Arts.
Helena Andrews-Dyer is an award-winning culture reporter for The Washington Post, covering the intersection of popular culture, race, politics and art in the nation’s capital. She’s written about actress Sheryl Lee Ralph’s finally getting her flowers, Vice President Kamala Harris’s deep connection to her Black sorority, and the portrayal of black fatherhood in the film “King Richard.”
AGE GROUP: | Adults | 13 - 19 Years Old (Teens) |
EVENT TYPE: | Film | Black History Month |
