Real Cosmetics founder speaks

Lubna Khalid, founder and CEO of Real Cosmetics, discussed her inspiration for creating a diverse cosmetic line and the difficulties she faced because of this diversity at a lecture at the Asian-American Cultural Center on Tuesday night.

Khalid, a woman of Pakistani descent, discussed some of the images and stereotypes involving beauty in today's society. Khalid thought up the idea for Real Cosmetics while she was a student at California University at Berkley. Through her experience of being a model, she discovered the world of beauty was not diverse and she wanted some of that to change. She discussed how stereotypes have affected people's perceptions of beauty in the past and how they are currently changing and evolving. She said she attributes some of the success her company has experienced to these changing stereotypes.

"For me, as a Pakistani woman, starting a business is much more difficult, in general, than for a Caucasian man starting a business," Khalid said. "Fortunately now there's a lot of organizations that help solve that problem."

According to Angela Rola, director of the Asian-American Cultural Center, spreading diversity is an important endeavor that goes beyond educational learning.

"I think women, in general, for so long historically have not had their stories told," Rola said. "Plus their images in some way have been distorted and I think it is important, and not just diversity of color, but diversity of thought, that we talk about that as a community, as an America that prides itself on being a diverse place."

Khalid agreed it is important to spread diversity in new, unique ways.

"I think in today's world it's about capitalism, Khalid said. "People are buying products. If you can get diversity or any kind of political or social message out through capitalism or through consumerism it's awesome."

Khalid said she receives responses from her customers.

"I constantly get e-mails, and I have had them [customers] come in an tell me when they meet me in person what an important thing it has been for them to see images that reflect themselves, to finally feel a part of something, a part of the mainstream society," Khalid said.

The purpose of the lecture was to address the way the media deals with issues regarding diversity and to have someone like Khalid come and speak to others who might have some of issues and concerns.

"I think it has to do with my earlier question about the media not really paying attention to women of color," Rola said. "Actually it was through some other contacts that I have that I heard about Lubna Khalid's company and I thought it would be empowering, particularly for women of color, to meet someone like her, not just because of the product that she sells, but also that she is a role model for women of color and women all over."

Rola said everything the Asian American Cultural Center does involves diversity.

"I would say that the basis of our work is about diversity, is about telling our stories because Asian-Americans have been in this country for hundreds and hundreds of years," Rola said. "Our stories have not been told over and over again and that's what we're trying to do."

The students who attended the lecture said they enjoyed it and that they got something out of it.

"She had an audience of women, so she was very connected with us, because a lot of diversity was in this crowd so the connection touched home," Srey Im, a 3rd-semester nursing student, said.