Pretty Hurts: It’s time to decolonise beauty | Sasha Sarago | TEDxSydney

“You’re too pretty to be Aboriginal“ is a shocking statement Sasha Sarago experienced at a young age. In this talk, Sasha shares how she reclaimed her femininity and Aboriginality by redefining beauty. By challenging our concepts of beauty through the eyes of a First Nations woman, she asks - does beauty liberate you, or is it time to decolonise beauty? Sasha Kutabah Sarago is a proud Wadjanbarra Yidinji, Jirrbal and African-American woman. Sasha’s traditional Country spans from Atherton Tablelands, Daintree to Tully, known as the Bama (Rainforest People) of Far North Queensland. A former model, Sasha Sarago, grew frustrated by the invisibility of multicultural women in fashion and media. In 2011, Sasha founded Ascension — Australia’s first digital lifestyle platform for women of colour. As a speaker, Sasha raises awareness around culture, diversity and equity in the business, media and lifestyle sectors. Sasha has appeared on NITV Awaken, SBS World News, SBS Insight, ABC News Breakfast, in the Sydney Morning Herald, Frankie and Fashion Journal Magazines. With articles published in The Guardian and SBS Voices. Sasha is also a filmmaker, writing and directing documentaries Too Pretty To Be Aboriginal and InsideOUT which premiered at the Melbourne Women’s Film Festival 2020. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at