Actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw covers the April 2020 issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK, wearing Gucci for the newsstand cover and Prada on the subscriber’s edition. Stylist Leith Clark adds Chanel, Emilia Wickstead, Giambattista Valli, Valentino and more to the mix in colorful studio images for the fashion story “And the Winner Is . . . “ by Richard Phibbs. / Hair by Daniel Martin; makeup by Kay Montano

Lydia Slater interviews Mbatha-Raw about her role in ‘Misbehaviour’, where she plays Jennifer Hosten, who as Miss Grenada, became the first black woman to win the 1970 Miss World title.

For her research into the film, Gugu visited Grenada to talk to Hosten. "She’s in her seventies now, and she’s got such a regal presence, such posture, these bright, bright eyes – she’s very demure, quite proper but very centred.”

"It was amazing to meet her and find out about a moment in her life all that time ago that really informed all her opportunities and choices. She felt like she was an ambassador for her country, and she was breaking boundaries in her own way." Hosten went on to be appointed Grenada’s High Commissioner to Canada.

As a sign of the times and our celebration of black women — and hopefully one becoming the first woman vice president of the United States in our November 2020 presidential election — black women held all 5 crowns in American or global beauty pageants in 2019. They include Miss Teen USA, Miss America, Miss USA, Miss Universe and Miss World

The New York Times delved into the story in early December 2019.

The actor is well known for her role in ‘The Morning Show’, including tackling the topic of #MeToo and inappropriate sexual behavior by men. A vocal supporter of the Time’s Up campaign, Gugu (as shde is affectionately called) shares an Instagram message with Slater, from someone very impacted by her role and the situation:

“Thank you for bringing this story to life and helping our society understand . . . how varied women’s experiences with rape and assault can be. You’ve helped me immensely in my healing process.”

AOC previously covered ‘Misbehaviour’ star Keira Knightley. The trailer and in-depth interviews about the film and the outrageous, real-life spectacle of Bob Hope’s opening to the Miss World pageant are discussed. It’s also the first paragraph of Slater’s interview with Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

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