Escaping standards has been part of Carla Pinheiro’s routine since childhood. From beauty contests to the catwalk, the model follows a difficult path, but with the dream of one day being a reference for thousands of other black girls from the outskirts. Resident of Santa Maria, administrative region of the Federal District, in 2021 the young woman was one of the winners of Top Cufa DF, an initiative that promotes the inclusion of residents of favelas and communities in fashion.
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At 21 years old, Carla Pinheiro remembers the paths she took to achieve victories so far. Passionate about the fashion universe, the model from Brasilia had to fight to get opportunities. “When I was a child, I suffered a lot in terms of self-esteem, especially because I was a black girl. I thought I was inferior and I never saw people like me in these spaces [de destaque]”, he recalls, in an interview with the column.
The young woman participated in beauty contests, but always dealt with some type of prejudice. “They didn’t think I was pretty enough to be part of that, however, this desire grew more and more in me, like a form of affront”, she explains. The racist experiences culminated in a decisive experience in Carla Pinheiro’s life.
“There was a time when they asked me to straighten my hair. The justification was that she would look ‘similar’ to the other girls. I denied it and had the feeling that it wasn’t for me. It didn’t make sense anymore”, he laments.
However, the model found a new perspective on the scenario. Discredited in her own career, the model was unable to get new opportunities, but everything changed when she decided to participate in Top Cufa Distrito Federal, three years ago.
Inclusion in the periphery
With a focus on providing young people from the periphery with concrete possibilities in fashion, Top Cufa DF reaches its seventh edition this year. The beauty contest has already presented talents that stand out in the city, such as Carla Pinheiro.
With the support of friends, the Brasilia native signed up for the project and emerged as the winner in the Fashion category. “That’s how that childhood dream resurfaced. I have experienced incredible things and reached unimaginable places,” she says.
Carla Pinheiro says she is the result of a generation of black people who always grew up very frustrated. With the new experiences, the model shares that she intends to make a difference. “I really want to experience all the opportunities so that in the future other girls don’t have to face the same difficulties”, she concludes.
Brasília Outside the Standards
The column started the Brasília Fora dos Padrãos section, as an extension of the Moda Brasília series. Every week, we present people who stand out for their own style, in order to emphasize fashion in the Federal District, in the Central-West.
The goal is to compile fashionistas who use clothing as a form of self-expression and authenticity. Names are independently selected by column staff. The initiative also addresses topics beyond the fashion segment, such as music, entertainment and art.
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Tags: Model outskirts Carla Pinheiro overcomes prejudice fashion
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