On December 6, singer-songwriter Ciara Wilson stunned at the Los Angeles premiere of Blitz Bazawule's "The Color Purple." She donned head-to-toe white in a flowing ensemble by Georges Hobeika, but all eyes were on one thing in particular: the luminous gold leaf adorning her baby bump, which she showed off beneath her unbuttoned blouse.
This comes amid a Renaissance of women redefining pregnancy beauty and style by showing their bumps off proudly rather than hiding them away. Other notable celebrities who've partaken in this trend include Beyoncé and Rihanna, both of whom have bucked against the notion that pregnant women can't look sexy or experiment with their style.
That said, Ciara Wilson's look this week was revolutionary. Not only did she show off her bump à la Rihanna, but she drew attention to it by coloring it gold, making it stand out against her monochromatic ensemble and subdued hair and makeup (though her gold eyeshadow did shine through and tie the look together beautifully). Furthermore, by choosing gold in particular, Wilson gave her bump a regal air, driving home the message that pregnancy—and women's bodies in general—should be honored rather than hidden or disregarded.
The body-positive beauty statement was also particularly appropriate for the event: The Color Purple is a tremendously important novel by Alice Walker, which has since been made into an award-winning 1985 film starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, as well as a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. Now, it is being transformed yet again into a powerful musical film starring Halle Bailey, Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, and Wilson herself, who will be playing the role of Nettie Harris.
"It was truly an emotional moment,” Wilson said at the premiere, referencing one of the film’s most climactic scenes. “It's a significant moment and I knew what that role meant before I stepped into.”
Both Wilson’s role in the film and her appearance at the premiere epitomize body positivity and female empowerment. The film, which honors “the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood” hits theaters on December 25.
