I Am Beauty

What is beauty? Is it fair, lovely and what society wants it to be? Or is it imperfect and unique? Three beautiful women show us how beauty cannot be boxed into groups or chained by definitions. 

- Meghna Menon

Grey is the new black.

BINAIFER BHARUCHA, 38, PHOTOGRAPHER

As a child, I remember a young aunt sporting a crop of pristine white hair. I never looked at it differently or thought about it twice. But as I grew up, I had a different perspective—as a young woman myself, those whites were suddenly empowering. Knowing that she never took to colouring her hair, despite being in her 30s, defined confidence and beauty. But it wasn’t as easy as it looked when I turned 21 and my own greys spread like wildfire. By 23, I was colouring my hair and continue to do so. It may have something to do with how a person my age is ‘usually’ not seen with such a crop. But while I have a complex relationship with my greys, there are women out there, braver and bolder; women who’re flaunting their perfect ‘imperfections’. Meet three of them here, and get inspired!

Binaifer’s hair started greying in school and she has been rocking the look ever since! “I have never seen the need to colour or hide my greys. I have seen what people go through when they colour their hair and, personally, I think it’s a never-ending and painful cycle,” she says, adding that there was never a point in time when she had to embrace her grey hair as she’s never looked at it differently. “I have had people come up to me randomly at stores and on the street, and compliment my hair. It has always been pleasant and unexpected. And if it gets more women to, if nothing else, embrace their greys, why not!”