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Clara Amfo Talks Beauty, Belonging and Black British Culture

A few seconds into my first question, Clara Amfo kindly interrupts me to mention that she is walking down a busy London street and if our interview were to suddenly cut out or be temporarily drowned by police sirens that is the reason. 

Thankfully, we meander through the interview relatively unscathed by the city’s signature soundtrack. Rather, I am buoyed along by Clara’s courteous and bubbly nature, transposing positive energy to the diversity of topics we cover in our delightful conversation. 

We start with a discussion around her role as chair and curator of a panel for an event all about black women’s place in the beauty industry put on through a collaboration by Africa Utopia, a yearly event by the Southbank Centre for the African diaspora on all things from fashion to gender, and IndabaX - an event series elevating black excellence.    

"It’s something that I am passionate about, just because I have had issues where make-up artists don’t know quite what they are doing. When I was first buying products I had to figure out what worked for me.