The First Black Millionairess Came from the Beauty Industry

[View on the web]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( History [Black Women’s Success in the Beauty Industry Started With Madam C.J. Walker]( [Madam CJ Walker]( Netflix has announced that [Octavia Spencer will star in a limited series about beauty mogul Madam C.J. Walker](, and the news couldn’t have come at a better time. Although [the contributions African Americans have made to the cosmetics industry]( span more than a century, the recent [unprecedented success of Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty]( line has shone a spotlight on black women and their relationship to beauty that’s yet to dim. [Brands that don’t include products for women of color]( can now expect to be called out on the oversight, and others, like [Kylie Cosmetics, have made a point to be more inclusive]( following Fenty’s triumph. But Fenty is not the only makeup brand affiliated with a black woman that’s exceeded expectations. Named after the famed black makeup artist who started it in 2015, [Pat McGrath Labs is now valued at a staggering $1 billion]( — that’s $200 million more than Kylie Cosmetics. Unlike [Kylie Jenner](, McGrath didn’t get a Forbes cover for the accomplishment, but it’s clear that the days of black women being relegated to the margins of the cosmetics industry are coming to an end. Largely to thank for this breakthrough? Madam C.J. Walker. [Read the rest of the story here>>]( Ad from our sponsor News [Of Course There’s a Vest Vending Machine at the San Francisco Airport]( [Paul Manafort’s Trial Gave Us a Peek at His (Very Expensive) Wardrobe]( On Wednesday evening, the public got a peek at former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort’s [much-discussed wardrobe](, which has been an eye-catching part of the [first trial]( in special counsel [Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation](. The special counsel’s office released [photos]( of Manafort’s many expensive clothing purchases — nubby gray suits, silky striped suits, checkered blue suits, and more “casual” jackets made from brown python and black ostrich leather — that [it claims]( Manafort paid for with laundered money. The trial, which began on Tuesday, deals with the allegation that Manafort earned millions of dollars working for the Ukrainian government, filtered the money through offshore shell companies without reporting it to the US government or paying income taxes on it, and then proceeded to spend roughly $30 million of it on real estate, landscaping, fancy rugs, and clothing from luxury boutiques back in the States. On top of that, Mueller has charged Manafort with making fraudulent attempts to get bank loans. Employees at the high-end clothing boutiques House of Bijan and Alan Couture [testified in court]( on the second day of the trial. Manafort’s over-the-top wardrobe has figured prominently into his case because it offers evidence that he secretly wired money from offshore bank accounts to vendors in the US. Clothing can also be weaponized to play on our judgmental sides. [Find out more here>>]( Did a friend forward you this email? [Sign up for the Racked email newsletter](. [MORE GOOD STUFF TO READ TODAY](#) - [Rihanna’s Newly Skinny Eyebrows Spark Mass Panic]( - [Donald Trump Unaware of How Grocery Shopping Works]( - [Could In-Home 3D Body Scanners Change How We Shop for Clothes?]( Ad from our sponsor From the Archives A selection from the editors at Racked [Beach caftan]( [‘Menocore’ Is as Much About Wealth as It Is About Age]( How did we decide comfortable clothing was only for rich older women? [Read More]( [People in line]( [The Things That Come to Those Who Wait]( A sociocultural history of the line. [Read More]( Ad from our sponsor [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( to stop receiving emails from Racked. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.