Leomie Anderson is precisely who she believes she is—That Girl.

      It's noon on a Tuesday when Leomie Anderson joins our video call, looking vibrant and energized between her workout sessions. She apologizes for her casual look and the gym café background, but her post-exercise enthusiasm suggests our chat will be enjoyable. Although we’ve only met once before, years ago, we greet like old acquaintances. “I remember your face,” she says warmly. In an industry known for fleeting connections, this recognition is a pleasant surprise, but not entirely unexpected. I recall that we shared a moment; after some fangirling on my part, we had a lively discussion and took some photos together. Our brief first meeting has stuck with me. As a Black woman in media, it's not often that you encounter someone who speaks like you or looks like you in the same space.

      Anderson began her modeling career at just 14 after being discovered on the streets of South London with her burgundy hair. "It was a rinse, not a dye! I didn’t want anything permanent," she jokes while recalling that time. Since then, she has graced some of the most renowned runways—think Vivienne Westwood, Tom Ford, and Burberry, to name a few.

      Inevitably, comparisons to Naomi Campbell arise, as both are tall, Black, British models who command presence, but Anderson has always followed her own distinct path. She is outspoken, elegantly self-assured, and inquisitive, with a solid record of addressing industry missteps and advocating for diversity and inclusion within fashion. These qualities have helped her transition from a girl from Wandsworth, who spent much of her youth on the athletics track, to a multifaceted supermodel. She has become a TV presenter—currently hosting the BBC's Glow Up, a reality competition series in which aspiring makeup artists compete for a chance to enter the professional makeup world—a two-time TEDx Talk speaker, and most recently, a survivalist on Netflix's Bear Hunt. Throughout her diverse accomplishments, her passion for beauty, rooted in her modeling background, has remained strong.

      “When I started, I didn’t even think makeup was for Black people,” she reflects. “They couldn’t match my shade. They would say, ‘Your skin’s so nice, you don’t need makeup.’ I thought it was a compliment until I realized they just didn’t have anything for me.” This epiphany motivated Anderson to learn makeup basics, which led her to create a YouTube video called The Black Girl Survival Kit in 2016. She later joined Rihanna’s groundbreaking Fenty Beauty campaign, which featured the brand's extensive range of foundation shades. “It shook up the industry,” she remembers. “Being part of that change felt like a full-circle moment for me because it was something I had been very vocal about since the start of my career.”

      Although she often found herself as the rare—or sometimes the only—Black model in the room, Anderson's positive relationship with her skin, hair, and body has fortunately remained intact, which is a refreshing contrast in an industry notorious for unhealthy pressures and insecurity. Her modeling career throughout the 2010s provided her with firsthand insight into an industry in desperate need of transformation. “[It has] come a long way,” she says. “When I began, even mixed-race girls with curls were told to straighten their hair. Now you can see braids on the runways—that wouldn’t have happened back then.” However, she doesn't sugarcoat the truth. We discuss life after Black Lives Matter; the surge in diverse campaigns and opportunities that came and then quietly faded away. “They gave us three, four good years of ‘diversity and inclusion,’ then it was goodbye,” she shares. “The job opportunities I received from 2020 to 2022? Gone. It's reverted to how it used to be.”

      This is why her TEDx Talks, where she addresses everything from hidden challenges in modeling to racial inequality, hold such significance and resonate deeply. “I use humor to keep it real,” she shares. “Some of the experiences I’ve had are difficult, but they’re also funny—like, how did this even happen? I want people to understand it’s my lived experience, not just me complaining.” Taking that step requires courage, especially for women who look like her. “If I can speak up to 500 people on stage, maybe a young model will feel empowered to advocate for herself too.”

      Anderson is quick to mention her positive experiences as well. Her time as a Victoria’s Secret Angel is one of her proudest achievements. “I loved being a Victoria’s Secret Angel; it was definitely a pinch-me moment,” she smiles. “[It] was a wonderful time because they treated us very well.” She acknowledges the brand's challenging reputation—“Obviously, no brand is perfect”—but values the sisterhood she experienced. “It was all about the girls and everyone there, the opportunities we were given