We are taught from an early age that everyone must have a particular appearance. Girls use copious amounts of gel to slick back their curly hair to make it look nicer.
We also have to have thin bodies and porcelain-like skin free of impurities and pimples. But we are now witnessing a significant shift in the restrictive beauty ideals of the world, owing to some genuinely unapologetic women like Winnie Harlow.
We want to give Winnie a hearty round of applause for having more faith in herself than anything else in the world. Winnie has not only become a fashion model but also a role model for many people struggling with their self-esteem.
Winnie’s path was not a fairytale from the beginning.
Chantelle Brown-Young is the real name of Winnie. She was born in the Greater Toronto Area, and at the age of 4, doctors discovered she had vitiligo. She’s had to deal with the belief that she’s unique since early childhood.
In her interview, she claims, “I never saw somebody like me on TV, billboards, or on the runways growing up. “I thought I was the only person in the world who felt the same as me.” Because of her disability, her peers did not accept her, and she acknowledged in her interview that it was unpleasant.
As Winnie explains, “I think the people around me had a bigger impact on my self-esteem than my skin problem did.”
Her career started unexpectedly, even for her.
Winnie’s modelling aptitude was unintentionally discovered, like most gifted individuals. Shannon Boodram, a Toronto journalist who chronicled Winnie and her illness in a YouTube video, served as her “fairy godmother.” In a short period, it received more than 150,000 views. Winnie, who was just 16 years old at the time, was encouraged by Shannon to give modelling a serious thought.
According to Winnie in her interview, “She contacted me and told me that I should keep modelling, that the camera adored me, and that I was a natural.” She didn’t think it was my first photo shoot, in fact.
Winnie seemed to be a tough nut to crack despite all of her difficulties.
At the age of 19, Winnie made a significant splash in the media when she competed in Tyra Banks’ season of America’s Next Top Model. She made it to the finals even if she didn’t prevail. The model must have found this experience to be quite tricky because she rarely brings it up in her interviews.
In reference to the show, the woman states, “At that time in my life, I was told or made to feel that I couldn’t model or that it wasn’t for me.”
Winnie Harlow was able to speak up and motivate others because of modelling.
Winnie Harlow has established herself as the face of a well-known fashion label. She frequently makes appearances on television and speaks candidly about beauty ideals. She has won numerous accolades in various fields and keeps upsetting the fashion world with her fearless thoughts.
Global ideals of beauty are being redefined by Winnie. She explains, “I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder. She makes an effort to make fashion more motivating rather than aspirational.
I often tell people to focus on their own opinions of themselves rather than other people’s opinions, she continues.
Do you find Winnie’s tale to be motivating? Who is the model who represents variety and beauty in your opinion?
Preview photo credit winnieharlow / Instagram, winnieharlow / Instagram
