Unique models seem to be helping change societal beauty standards.
These truly stunning people are bringing a totally new look to magazine covers and runways
everywhere.
Here are some of the most groundbreaking models out there!
With model and musician Darius Vernon's chiseled abs, lilting British accent, and collection
of bold tattoos, it's hard to imagine that he once thought any differently about himself.
But Vernon has a skin condition called vitiligo, which causes his skin to lose pigment, resulting
in patches of lighter skin on his lips, hands, and elsewhere, something that got him severely
bullied over the years.
He told Barcroft TV,
"One day I was walking down the street and three girls started heckling me and saying
how ugly I was.
I remember going home and soaking the pillow with tears."
"I had to have therapy because at one point it became such a weight for me to carry day
to day."
At his lowest point, Vernon considered taking his own life.
But meeting a stranger who also had vitiligo at a party helped Vernon open his eyes, and
his perspective began to change.
Over time, he was able to see himself in a whole new light.
The part-time model shared,
"I used to hate my skin but now I'm proud of it.
It's part of who I am."
It's not hard to see why Brazilian beauty Lea T chose modeling as a profession, with
her caramel colored skin, long dark hair, and enviable cheekbones.
She made her big breakthrough in 2010, when she was cast in a campaign for Givenchy.
After that came appearances in magazines like Love and Vogue Paris, and she then became
the face of the hair care company Redken.
But the reason T is so unique is that she's an openly transgender woman, and she's one
of the first to represent a major brand, an honor that came as a surprise even to her.
She confessed in an interview with The Cut,
"I know working with me is not the easiest thing.
You have a lot of controversy, some people like it and other people hate it and it's
political."
T says she's absolutely grateful for all of the opportunities she's been given, and she
hopes everyone can celebrate their differences while all growing together.
Sabina Karlsson's look is unmistakable.
She has a gorgeous mane of red ringlets that spill over her shoulders, a smattering of
freckles across her face, and a honey-colored complexion that anyone would be envious of.
She's also long since left the world of "straight" sized modeling behind her, and she embraces
her size 12 or 14 curves.
And given that she walks in shows for Michael Kors and appears in ads for Gap, she's obviously
in high demand.
But it wasn't an easy journey.
"I would go to a casting, I remember in Milan once, and the casting director, she just like
squeezed my thighs and said, 'No no no, too big.'"
Transitioning to "plus size" modeling wasn't easy either, since Karlsson was afraid she
wouldn't be pretty enough to get work, which, of course, turned out to be totally untrue.
She told Elle,
"Eventually, by working with curvy girls, I realized that that is exactly where I wanted
to be.
So it took some time for me to accept it, to be kind to myself."
Karlsson hopes that people realize that being "plus sized" isn't a trend.
She continued,
"This is a change that should have happened way back, and it's here to stay."
Oculocutaneous albinism, which is a genetic condition that affects the color of a person's
hair, skin, and eyes, is only found in 1 in 20,000 people, according to the National Institutes
of Health.
One person affected by the condition is the devastatingly handsome Shaun Ross, an African-American
man with a totally unique look.
Ross is the first man with albinism to be a male international fashion model, but he
didn't have it easy growing up in a world that can be hostile.
In an interview with Interview magazine, he revealed,
"I think one of the greatest challenges I've ever had to face was being comfortable with
the way people view me.
It's not easy being a six-foot light bulb, so I had to become comfortable with that aspect
of life."
But when Ross was approached to be a model, it changed how he viewed himself.
In an interview with the United Nations, he said,
"After becoming a model and being accepted slowly, very slowly, I saw a shift which in
turn inspired me."
"We all have supernatural powers.
It's called yourself.
That is your supernatural power, that's what makes it specific is that you are yourself."
It's not often you see unique models on the runway, especially those who use a wheelchair.
But IMG model and F.I.T.-educated Jillian Mercado, who has muscular dystrophy and therefore
relies on a wheelchair to get around, is changing that with her groundbreaking look.
She's been in campaigns for brand juggernauts like Target and Diesel, and she's worked behind
the scenes, writing for magazines and working on photo shoots.
Initially, Mercado didn't expect to do her thing on the catwalk, especially in the capacity
she does now.
She wrote in an article for Today,
"I never actually thought I would have a full-blown modeling career.
It wasn't until I saw an online open call Diesel was having that I bit the bullet and
gave it a shot.
The rest, as they say, is history."
Being in the industry wasn't always easy for Mercado, but she knows it was the right career
move for her.
She added,
"I love that being a model is a way to exercise my creative juices, but also a way to inspire
and give hope to girls like me."
Canadian-born model Winnie Harlow slays wherever it is that she strikes a pose, whether it
be on America's Next Top Model or the cover of Harper's Bazaar.
With over 6 million followers on Instagram as of June 2019, Harlow is truly one of the
most famous and unique beauties out there.
Harlow had a dream realized when she was selected to walk the runway for Victoria's Secret.
She gushed in an interview with Vogue,
"It's the pinnacle of my career.
I told anyone [who] asked, 'I want Victoria's Secret!'"
Harlow, like many of her unique contemporaries, hopes to see differences celebrated instead
of weaponized against people.
She asked,
"Why is there a stigma around being different when we're all different?
Representation is so important, and I want to [stand for] all women.
Every single woman."
Some people are so unique and groundbreaking that even President Barack Obama asks to meet
them.
That's a bragging right that the gender-bending model Rain Dove can claim, who got to do just
that at Capitol Pride in 2016.
Dove is known for modeling in both male and female shows due to her androgynous appearance,
which apparently seems to bother some people.
She explained in an interview with Teen Vogue,
"Sometimes when castings look at me, I feel like they see some kind of token for their
show.
But you know what?
I'll take it.
It's my goal to make sure that it's wildly successful that they have me in their show."
And that, in turn, opens the door for other models down the road, which Dove appreciates.
While the modeling industry can be really tough on some people's confidence, Dove has
flourished in it.
She added,
"Modeling is also the first job I've ever had where it's my job to love myself.
While many people think that modeling would chip away at your self-esteem, it's actually
bolstered mine tenfold.
It's been a very interesting journey."
"My mission is not to look fancy, my mission is to show people that they belong, that they
are beautiful."
Diandra Forrest was only 18 years old when she was signed to be a model, making her the
first woman with albinism to ink a deal with a major modeling company, according to the
United Nations.
But because she was so young, Forrest found herself susceptible to some unsolicited advice
from people.
She recalled in an interview with Glamour,
"I was going to other countries and going into agencies, and then there would be those
reactions.
My eyelashes are really blond, and so are my eyebrows, and like many girls, I'd go in
without much makeup, to which agents would say, 'You should always wear mascara.'"
Fortunately, Forrest has gained a lot more confidence since then, and she's much more
comfortable with her natural look.
She continued,
"My albinism is a part of me, and it's beautiful."
But Forrest also made it clear that albinism isn't the only thing that defines her, she's
a multi-faceted person.
She admitted that she also started embracing her natural hair, adding,
"It's only just recently that I've started wearing it more natural and in my 'fro.
I love it."
It's been over two decades since Alek Wek started working as a fashion model, with her
gorgeous dark complexion and trademark gap-toothed smile.
Born in South Sudan, Wek has been on runways like Gucci, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, and Givenchy.
The veteran model is still slaying looks wherever she goes, proving that her career is showing
no signs of slowing down.
Even though Wek has been doing her thing on the catwalk for a long time, it was only in
2018 when she was in her 40s that she got her first solo magazine cover, Vogue in Ukraine,
something she attributes to evolving beauty standards.
She gushed in an interview with The Guardian,
"To see diversity finally kicking in and being embraced is amazing."
But she also added that there's still a long way to go.
Over the years, Wek has blossomed, and she's acquired wisdom that's helped her become both
super confident and self-embracing.
Everyone ages, but not everyone appreciates how they change physically as they get older.
Model Daphne Selfe is out there proving that being older doesn't mean you're any less beautiful.
Selfe returned to the industry when she was signed with OPSM for a modeling campaign in
2015, and she has also worked with Dolce & Gabbana and British Vogue.
Selfe is known for refusing to get cosmetic surgery, which is impressive in such a competitive
business.
She revealed in an interview with Vogue,
"I'm going to age like everyone naturally does so I might as well get on with it rather
than try to prevent the inevitable.
I'm too busy enjoying life and having my next adventure."
In the future, Selfe hopes to see a larger range of both models and clothing in the biz.
She continued,
"The industry is mainly targeted at the youth market, whereas the older generations are
becoming a larger percentage of the population all the time."
IMG model Marquita Pring is a smoldering beauty in the "plus size" fashion industry.
Her caramel complexion, deep brown eyes, attractive curves, and disarming smile have definitely
served her well as she's walked on runways for Christian Siriano, Prabal Gurung, and
Tommy Hilfiger, to name a few.
Pring has also seen the power of social media play out, as it's widened the diversity of
what people see.
She shared in an interview with Elle,
"Where for so many years we've only been able to see images that the media or retailers
are showing us, now we've entered a new era of speaking up for ourselves instead of just
taking whatever is given to us.
Women are embracing their bodies more, loving themselves more, and in turn putting it out
there more."
Additionally, Pring is happy that both the media and people are talking about the "plus
size" industry more.
And she feels it's only going to get "better and better."
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