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Adwoa Aboah: I used to wish I looked like someone else

Adwoa Aboah (PA)
Adwoa Aboah (PA)

Model and activist Adwoa Aboah has said she used to wish she looked like someone else, but now refuses to be anyone but herself.

The cover girl – who was born and raised in Britain to an English mother and Ghanian-born father – said wanting to look different “infected” her brain.

She said in Stylist magazine: “I think sometimes you get confused when you’re younger.

“I’m not sure if you’re conscious of it or you might feel the energy of things not being fair and not understand why people are like that.

“Sadly, I spent a lot of time wishing I looked like someone else.

“It was something that infected my brain, whether it was relaxing my hair or wearing make-up, but it never worked.

“You are who you are and I was never comfortable trying to fit in, and now I [refuse to] be anything but myself.

“When I came back to London from boarding school, I started to meet people who I saw myself in and who I liked, which meant I could like myself. If they can be like that, so can I.”

Adwoa Aboah on Stylist
Adwoa Aboah on Stylist (Keziah Quarcoo)

Aboah recently collaborated with Barbie, with a doll in her likeness released in time for International Women’s Day in March.

She teamed up with the brand to change the way beauty is perceived and show the importance of celebrating diversity.

She said: “Initially what came to mind was the part that Barbie played in my life.

“It was both positive and negative in the sense that it was my childhood but it created insecurity in myself about what I wanted to look like and what I’d never look like.

“My Barbies all had the typical blonde hair, blue eyes and white skin, so what I really wanted to convey is the need to celebrate diversity and the new ways our society should be looking at beauty.

“And also that anyone that doesn’t have a reference of themselves to look up to can look at my Barbie and see that these things are possible.

“I wanted to portray how detrimental it is for one’s self-esteem if they are shown something that is out of reach.”

View this post on Instagram

Life is mad and wonderful and I’m in total shock! So excited to finally share with you my very own @Barbie Shero doll today. Through my organisation @GurlsTalk and Barbie’s mission to close the Dream Gap, we have both been on journeys to empower girls to believe anything is possible and I’m thrilled to work with Barbie for her 60th Anniversary to share my story and the community we have nurtured on Gurls Talk. What an absolute honor to be awarded this because of all the work I do with Gurls Talk means even more. Mad love to everyone at Barbie and all the amazing artists who made my Doll (by hand). This is a dream come true!!!! My one of a kind doll is wearing the outfit I won model of the year In, another pivotal moment in my career The outfit is by my loves @HalpernStudio and @StephenJonesMillinery Shoes by @LouboutinWorld ♥ and a second outfit repping the love of my life Gurls Talk ♥ I CANT STOP SMILING! #MoreRoleModels #Shero #Barbie60 @BarbieStyle

A post shared by Adwoa Aboah (@adwoaaboah) on

Aboah guest edited the new issue of Stylist. Several women are “taking over” the magazine to mark its 10th anniversary.

The full interview appears in this week’s issue of Stylist, out today.