Grown-ish star Yara Shahidi has always held herself to a higher standard. So it’s no surprise that she would expect the same from the brands she works with.
While some celebrities don’t seem to care who or what they represent as long as they get a payday (looking at you, Kardashian Jenners), Yara has always been very thoughtful and deliberate in who chooses to align herself with.
Yara has been careful to only work with mission-driven brands and to rep products that she actually likes. She even takes extra steps to ensure that any company she partners with shares her values. And if they don’t, then she lets them know that she’s prepared to walk away.
In an interview with Marie Claire, she explained that she puts what she calls “a reverse morality clause” into all of her contracts. Yara said,
“You as a company also have to fit within my certain values and if there are moments in which you step outside of that because of something a representative says, then there will be consequences.”
This approach is so refreshing, and it’s also incredibly badass. In a time when companies will pull sponsorships from celebrities and post an official statement condemning them quicker than you can refresh your Twitter feed, Yara is taking some power for herself and holding them just as accountable.
It’s clear that, for Yara, when she agrees to a partnership, she believes that she’s not just representing the brand, but that the brand is also representing her.
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Yara’s most recent partnership is with Dior, for whom she was named a Global Ambassador back in July 2021. This came shortly after she participated in the brand’s International Women’s Day campaign, “Dior Stands With Women.”
Speaking with Marie Claire, she said,
“I never rep products that I don’t actually really like. I spent all of grown-ish using [Dior] products and every time you see my face out in the world, even if they’re not tagged, it is a Dior makeup product.”
Prior to Dior, she partnered with Bobbi Brown for its empowering “Confident Beauty” campaign in 2019. She told People at the time,
“I actually use the product, but the brand aligns with me on more than just a skincare level, they understand the importance of platform.”
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Although Yara has certainly reached a level of fame where she can have the luxury of being picky in whom she works with, that obviously wasn’t always the case. And yet, her track record proves that she was always intentional about what brands she worked with.
One of her earlier partnerships included the 2017 #LikeAGirl campaign for Always brand, which aimed to turn the phrase that was, for too long, considered an insult into something that inspired confidence.
And then, one year later, Yara became a “Real Role Model” for an Aerie campaign that shared a similar message of encouragement to embrace who you are.
From there, she went on to collaborate on different projects with companies including Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger, Tory Burch, Coach, and Adidas.
Yara clearly has no interest in working with any brand that doesn’t align with her beliefs and, as her fame continues to grow, there’s no telling how her bold actions will influence her industry. She’s inspiring up-and-coming celebrities to take a stand and hold brands accountable, in any way they can.
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