Black dandy culture took center stage, blending heritage and high fashion
Thankfully, beauty standards for models are no longer what they used to be. Perfect symmetry, perfect height, perfect weight–all these traditional beauty standards have been challenged in recent years. In fact, many successful models these days have unique features about them that set them apart from the rest.
Click through the following gallery and meet the models who are redefining beauty in the fashion industry.
Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy as a child, Jillian Mercado found little representation of Latinx, disabled, queer women of color in the fashion industry growing up. Yet, her passion for fashion persisted, leading her to pursue a degree in marketing and an internship at Allure magazine. Mercado’s determination to see greater inclusivity in the industry has made her a vocal advocate for disabled rights. Her work extends beyond modeling, with roles in TV shows like 'The L Word: Generation Q' and films such as 'My Eyes Are Up Here' (2023).
The model is known for her prosthetic right leg. Cax has been an advocate for people with disabilities in the fashion industry.
Currently in her twenties, Sara Geurts was born with a rare skin condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which causes her skin to become wrinkled, despite her young age. She completely shattered the stereotype that you need "perfect-looking" skin to be beautiful.
Chantelle Young-Brown, better known as Winnie Harlow, is known for her skin condition called vitiligo.
Forrest was the first female model with albinism to be signed to a big modeling agency.
"Long gone are the days when bearded ladies were thrown into freak shows and made to work in circuses" Harnaam Kaur once tweeted.
Melanie Gaydos was born with both ectodermal dysplasia and alopecia. Gaydos says that modeling helped her "become more confident, stronger and happier."
Currently in her sixties, Sarah Jane Adams proves you're never too old to be a model. She embraces her age and even her Instagram profile reflects that–it's called myrinklesaremystripes.
Ericka Hart had bilateral breast cancer and went through two mastectomies. She became famous for empowering other women who underwent the same procedure. She did so by proudly displaying her mastectomy scars.
Dove has used her masculine features to her advantage. “Many people think I’m a man that gave himself breasts, and I seriously find it funny. I never thought of myself as androgynous. I just thought I was terribly ugly. But then I understood that I can do something that others can’t," she said.
You might recognize him from Beyoncé's 'Pretty Hurts' video. The albino model has famously championed diversity in fashion by joining Instagram's inclusive Runway for All campaign.
Dark skin with freckles make Souffrant Ralph stand apart. "Today I’m proud of my freckles, but I used to hate them. They helped me pull my family out of poverty," he said.
Originally from Sudan, she fled to London to escape the war in her country. Wek became a model in 1995 and played a key role in redefining beauty standards in the industry.
Being Black, bold, and tattooed is not the look of your average model. But Woods did find her place in Rihanna's Fenty Beauty brand.
The half-Mexican, half-Japanese model found success in the fashion industry with her unique features.
The Dutch model's unique facial features were good enough for Calvin Klein, Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Tom Ford, Gucci, and Prada, to name a few!
Not only is she an Asian woman with red hair, freckles, and thick lips, Aoki was one of the shortest supermodels in the world, at just 1.65 m (5.4 ft) tall. She's gone on to become an actress and star in movies such as '2 Fast 2 Furious' and 'Sin City.'
These twins used to hate their huge hair, but now they've embraced it and it's what sets them apart.
One of the world's most famous plus-size models, Graham embraced her curves and so did the fashion industry.
The model embraces her freckles and natural hair, and so should you.
The Russian model never thought of herself as beautiful, but many fashion designers think otherwise.
The Belgian model might not have the perfect long hair, but her career is going really well.
Her strong facial features helped her launch her modeling career.
A small mouth, plump lips, gapped teeth, and a chin dimple seem to be the perfect combination on Lindsey Wixson.
Bair struggled during her childhood because of her unique features. "I'm kind of, I guess, embracing that alien, rat, demon, goblin, gremlin sort of vibe and going with it," she said in an interview.
The Dutch fashion model might not look like your average model, but she has become very successful.
The model's "girl-next-door" vibe landed her jobs with the likes of Vogue, Dolce & Gabbana, and Yves Saint Laurent.
The American-born English model also defies traditional beauty standards.
The Polish model is absolutely stunning, though the shape of her face is not the most usual one.
Sources: (Brightside) (Revelist) (AsiaOne) (CNN)
Models who defy traditional beauty standards
Different is beautiful
FASHION Runway
Thankfully, beauty standards for models are no longer what they used to be. Perfect symmetry, perfect height, perfect weight–all these traditional beauty standards have been challenged in recent years. In fact, many successful models these days have unique features about them that set them apart from the rest.
Click through the following gallery and meet the models who are redefining beauty in the fashion industry.