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Nearly two thirds of Mexicans have dark skin, but brown and black models are still considered “exotic.”

A recent analysis by BuzzFeed Mexico found that the country’s most popular magazines are way whiter than the actual Mexican population. At least 80 percent of the people in the 15 publications we looked at have fair skin.

When presented with the findings, one of the magazine editors told BuzzFeed Mexico that a challenge in representing diversity “was because they did not have, perhaps, more options of models of brown complexion, or enough stock photos of Mexican characters.”

Editorial Televisa / Grupo Expansión / Condé Nast / Notmusa / Media MKT

Which is why María Osado decided to do something. Osado is a 19-year-old architecture student who grew up reading fashion magazines full of tall, white, blond people.

For years, she believed that was the only option, until she realized she didn't identify with the magazines she consumed.

María Fernanda Molins

Instead of settling for magazines full of people who looked nothing like her, Osado founded Güerxs, a modeling agency that’s challenging the Mexican fashion industry to become more diverse.

Instagram: @guerxs

She decided to enter the business and transform it from within after wondering why dark-skinned models are considered “exotic” in a country where 65 percent of the population is brown or black.

Osado called on her closest friends, began taking pictures and, the next thing she knew, she had a company. She's received positive feedback, but also some negative comments from people she says “are not ready to digest what's different.”

Instagram: @guerxs

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