Op-Ed: How Olandria Carthen, Ryan Destiny, Lovie Simone And Other Young Women Celebs Are Redefining Beauty Standards

In a new op-ed from Essence, Olandria Carthen is highlighted alongside actresses Ryan Destiny and Lovie Simone as part of a new generation of young Black women challenging long-standing beauty standards in entertainment and media. The piece explores how their growing visibility—particularly as dark-skinned women in fashion, film, and television—pushes back against colorism and outdated ideas about what beauty looks like. Carthen’s rising influence in fashion and pop culture is cited as an example of how confidence, style, and authenticity are reshaping the industry and helping redefine representation for the next generation.