Meet 25-year-old Inuvialuit (Inuit) model and content creator Willow Allen. She's racked up a following of 737.8k on TikTok and 249k on Instagram by sharing her heritage and culture through pictures and videos of her life in the Arctic. After following her for just over a year, I had the amazing opportunity to hear from her directly about her journey of self-discovery, the importance of cultural education, and, of course, her biggest beauty secrets as one of the most recognizable Indigenous public figures on social media. Keep reading to learn more about Allen and then shop Who What Wear's favorite finds from Indigenous-owned brands.
Finding Confidence in Cultural Identity
Allen's perception of beauty has always been influenced by her cultural upbringing as an Inuvialuit living in the Arctic. "The things I always grew up to know as beautiful were handmade Inuvialuit traditional clothes, earrings, crafts, arts, and carvings," she explains. "They were seen so highly by everyone in my community and always praised and recognized. I always wanted beautiful mukluks or mitts for Christmas, and they were the most valuable thing I felt like I owned." In the first video I ever viewed of Allen's, she was holding a pair of traditional beaded bridal slippers made by a local artisan and sharing how important it was to her that she wear them on her special day—even taking precedence over wedding dress shopping.
Another video features Allen doing her makeup with the goal of embracing and enhancing her Indigenous features. When I ask Allen about the most notable beauty practices passed down to her through generations of women in her family, Inuvialuit clothing and jewelry come to mind. She says she feels most beautiful in her traditional earrings, seal-skin mukluks, and mittens. "I feel like I'm really sharing who I am, how I was raised, and what my life growing up in the Arctic was. I hope my audience sees the beautiful way of life it is in the Arctic and in Indigenous culture," she adds. The majority of her content, beauty based or otherwise, is focused on her identity and culture. Many of Allen's videos begin with her introducing herself as an Inuk from the Arctic before diving into the subject matter.
On her social media platforms, she provides background on these traditional accessories in addition to recounting her experiences growing up in the Arctic. Allen also dedicates videos to her modeling career, sharing the highs, lows, and everything in between. "My experience [as a model] has been so positive because of the influence I believe it has had on other young Indigenous people as well as seeing the pride in my community and family to have an Inuvialuit model for brands they know," she tells me. "I was encouraged to pursue it because of the confidence it gave me, the way it made my family and community proud, and the influence I feel like it had in highlighting Indigenous people in a positive way."
In addition to bringing visibility to Arctic communities, Allen seeks to inspire and encourage future generations to connect with their heritage. "It is such a beautiful part of who we are. So much was wrongly taken from us. My hope is for us to fight back and reclaim all that was taken and carry our culture proudly," she says. Her biggest source of inspiration? Alaskan Indigenous model Quannah Chasinghorse. She cites Chasinghorse's representation of, advocating for, and dedication to wearing her Indigenous culture, clothing, tattoos, and identity with pride.
Allen's Approach to Beauty
Of course, as a beauty editor, I found myself beyond curious as to how Allen maintains a flawless-looking complexion, and she was open to spilling her biggest beauty secrets. "Every day, I like to wash my face with Dior La Mousse Foaming Cleanser, then apply the Dior Capture Totale Le Sérum and Lancôme Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum," says Allen. "I like to not wear makeup as much as I can to let my skin have a break and breathe. These three products are my current favorite and go-tos." Her advice doesn't stop there—for Indigenous women especially, she encourages embracing your cultural clothing, tattoos, hair, and everything that has cultural significance, as it is beautiful.
When asked what she's most looking forward to in 2024, Allen shared that she will be embarking on a new journey in January: motherhood. "I have no idea what this new chapter will look like, but my hope is to continue to model, do social media, and be a positive influence," she says. If what she's done so far in her 25 years on this planet clues us in on what we can expect to see from her in the next year, things are certainly looking up.
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