Model and entrepreneur Roger Dupé was taught early that skin care was a form of self-love. Now, he’s passing that learning along through Melyon, his new inclusive beauty line from Stockholm. Operating with a “less is more” approach, Dupé has launched with four products to start. All are vegan, ecological, cruelty- and paraben-free, and have a base of nutrient-rich baobab oil, which pays homage to Dupé’s roots in Ghana and Togo. The baobab also inspired the dramatic design of the recyclable glass product bottles.
With Melyon, Dupé wants to expand the definition of beauty and uplift those who have often been ignored by the industry. Designed for dark skin tones, Melyon products are unisex and can be used by anyone. “I think beauty has different shades and should speak to everybody,” says Dupé. He talks to Vogue about being scouted, his dreams for the future, and the need for top-down change in the fashion and beauty industries.
Roger Dupé
Photo: Courtesy of Melyon
Let’s start from the beginning: How did you start modeling?
I grew up in a small town called Västerås. It’s like 15 minutes out from Stockholm. My dream was to become a soccer player. When I was 18 or 19, I injured my knee, and after that I didn’t feel the same energy to continue. I always went to Stockholm because I have an interest in clothing. So I went to a store called Top streetwear and I had two people following me. I thought in the beginning that they thought I was stealing something, but they came up to me and they were asking, ‘Are you a model?’ It was so strange because the model industry was so far away from me as a soccer guy from the suburbs. I didn’t have any references about that, so it was kind of weird for me, but they insisted, so I took the business card and after I couldn’t leave the thought. I called them back around two months later, and then from there it’s history. I’ve been in the industry now for 11 years, and am like the first Black model from Sweden to make a successful international carrier. I mean, it’s fantastic, and it’s a blessing, of course.
What is it like being in the modeling industry?
For me it was weird because it was something I didn’t know when I was young. Also, I got bullied because I looked different. I was in a really, really white school when I was young. So I always had that kind of feeling that I didn’t fit in anywhere. When I came into the fashion industry I thought it was opposite. I was like, maybe I fit here because I look different. But there were other issues under the surface, like the white privilege and the idea of white skin [being] more beautiful and the main subject of what beauty is in the fashion industry. So then I felt it was a bit strange because they wanted me, but…. And I didn’t see many Black people in the shows as well; I didn’t see diversity. I can also see that there’s been a change, but there needs to be a change in the whole pipeline. You cannot start to build the roof, you need to start from the ground.
The post Meet Melyon, a New Skin-Care Brand From Stockholm With Inclusivity at Its Core appeared first on Honk Magazine.
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