Countless little girls idolize Disney princesses, but as the majority of these characters are either white or Westernized, children from different cultures can’t always identify with them.
Lack of representation was something Hamel Patel was familiar with as a child. The North Carolina-based model and makeup artist is proud of her Indian heritage, and would have loved to see more of it on the big screen. “Growing up I always wished there was a Disney Princess I could relate to, one that represented where I came from. So I came up with this idea many months ago,” she wrote. Back in November, Patel began putting her own cultural twists on the classic princesses, recreating their looks with traditional Indian clothing and makeup. Check out all the photos in her stunning series below.
Belle
https://www.instagram.com/p/BckeSScApOx
Arielle
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcXgqxzAJIN
Snow White
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcFgyplAHVf
Jasmine
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcuzmaxgRZT
Cinderella
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcIv_HzAH0v
Mulan
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdA9BOXgb5p
Pocahontas
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc2uHXDggk3
Aurora
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcP_5ghAR4R
(via Bored Panda)