“If you want something deeply, the entire universe works to bring it to you.” Most people will remember this dialogue of Shahrukh Khan in the film ‘Om Shanti Om’. If we see this in real life, it means that if you do any work with complete honesty, hard work, determination and true dedication, then sooner or later you will get success in it. In front of all these things, physical beauty or disability has no importance. In this male dominated society, women have always tried to maintain a separate place for themselves and their existence in the society by fighting against all the troubles of the world. Every woman achieves a lot at her own level and Women’s Day is celebrated every year to celebrate these achievements. On this special occasion of 8th March i.e. Women’s Day, we will talk about 8 such models who have created a unique place for themselves in the glamor industry by breaking the norms of beauty, height, physical fitness etc. and have become inspirations that no matter what the difficulty may be, if there is true determination to make dreams come true, the destination can be achieved in every situation.
In the world of modeling, criteria like physical appearance and height are decided. Along with this, in this industry, attention is given to many things from hair to skin, but despite all these difficulties, there are many women who have created a distinct identity in the modeling industry and by breaking these criteria and achieving success, they have proved that nothing is impossible. So let’s know about these women.
Winnie Harlow broke the beauty myth
Often when we talk about someone being beautiful, it is imagined that his/her complexion is good, the skin looks glowing and the features are sharp. All these things are very important especially in the glamor industry, but Winnie Harlow has broken these myths of beauty. He has the problem of ‘Vitiligo’ (white spots on the skin), but he has turned it into his strength rather than his weakness. Despite skin disease, she has made a distinct identity for herself in modeling. Winnie Harlow started her journey with ‘America’s Next Top Model’. Today she is counted among the most popular models of the world.
Challenges, but did not give up
Winnie Harlow suffered a lot in her life from being bullied in school due to vitiligo to people staring at her as if she was different from others. Due to discrimination and making fun of her, her confidence also decreased and she also became mentally disturbed. In the beginning, she had to face a lot of rejections and challenges in the world of modeling, because her looks did not match the standards of beauty. Winnie Harlow’s story not only tells us that you can overcome any situation, but it also teaches us to love ourselves. You should never let your health, fitness or physical problems come in the way of success. If you love yourself, anything in the world can be done.
Model Winnie Harlow Women Day
Melanie Gaydos
In this series, we will talk about the second beauty of the modeling world, Melanie Gaydos, who even a rare disease could never stop her from moving forward. Melanie Gaydos was born with a rare genetic disorder ‘Ectodermal Dysplasia’. Due to this disease, teeth, hair and nails do not develop normally, but she did not give up on this problem but instead made it a unique identity and has proved herself strongly in the world of fashion by challenging the norms of traditional beauty.
Even a rare disease could not stop
After completing the necessary studies for a modeling career, she worked on fashion and art projects, but it was not so easy. Facing social discrimination due to looking different from others, bullying as well as undergoing various treatments and medical procedures due to health problems. Along with this, there was also a lot of struggle for career. Actually, there is already a lot of competition in this industry and in such a situation, breaking the traditional beauty criteria is a big challenge, due to this there were very few opportunities in the beginning. The story of Melanie Gaydos inspires us to move forward with the power of self-acceptance.
Wildine Aumoithe
Modeling is a field in which height is given a lot of importance, because it is believed that clothes of tall height look more balanced and attractive during ramp walk. Therefore, some standards have been set in the industry, like the minimum height of women in high fashion or runway modeling should be 5.8 feet. For commercial or advertising models, the height should be 5.5 and for petite modeling, the height should be at least 5.2. Despite this, many challenges remain. However, many women have broken these criteria. Florida model Wildine Aumoithe (USA) is the world’s shortest female model. His length is only 72 centimeters (about 28.3 inches i.e. 2 feet).
Don’t let low height become a hindrance
When Wildin Aumoithe was born, doctors said that he would hardly survive even 24 hours. She can’t even walk. Because of this, she goes to the ramp in a wheel chair. But even in bad circumstances, she has done what perhaps seems impossible. His name is included in the Guinness World Records. Apart from this, she also runs her own YouTube channel. In October 2021, she modeled in ‘Runway of Dreams, A Fashion Revolution’ at New York Fashion Week. By making this record, she showed the world that everyone should be included in fashion, height is just a number and there should be no height limit to become a model.
View this post on Instagram
plus size model ashley graham
In modern lifestyle, people often come under pressure due to increased weight. Especially for models in the film industry or fashion world, it is considered very important to keep their weight under control. Ashley Graham broke this myth. She is the world’s most famous and highest earning plus size model. She has been the face of the cover pages of many fashion magazines. Apart from doing campaigns for big brands, she has also worked as a judge and host in many beauty pageants. Apart from this, in 2016, there was a historical and memorable moment for Ashley when she became the first plus-size model for the cover page of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
the path was not easy
Ashley Graham’s path in breaking the standards of the modeling world was not easy. She also had to face size standards and body shaming in the traditional fashion industry in the early days of her career. She has also mentioned that some designers are still afraid of designing clothes for larger body sizes. Ashley Graham has not only achieved success in the modeling industry, but she is also an inspiration. This thing teaches us positivity about our body.
View this post on Instagram
Nyakim Gatwech (Queen of Dark)
Only those people who grow up with it can tell or understand what kind of discrimination is done in the world regarding color. Actually, in our society beauty is seen to be associated with fair complexion. Girls especially have to face many challenges, but it is not necessary that these become obstacles for you. Color can also become your strength. We will know about the model with the darkest skin in the world, whose name is Nyakim Gatwech. She is also known as “Queen of Dark”.
faced apartheid
Nyakim Gatwech, resident of South Sudan, is a famous fashion icon and social media model. Nyakim Gatwech also faced a lot of problems in his personal life. For example, she spent some of her childhood in Ethiopia and also lived in refugee camps in Kenya. She went to America at the age of just 14. She had to face colorism in the modeling industry. Due to this, suggestions like lightening the skin tone are also received. However, despite facing these difficulties, he did not give up and expressed pride in his skin color as well as his identity. Instead of changing the color of his skin, he accepted it in a positive way.
View this post on Instagram
Madeline Stuart
Madeline Stuart is an Australian model who has Down’s Syndrome. This is a health problem in which physical and intellectual development is delayed. This also causes many types of health problems. This syndrome cannot be stopped, because it is a genetic problem. She once went to a fashion show with her mother in 2014 and there she said that she wanted to become a model. After this he worked on it. In 2015, pictures of his weight loss went viral on social media. After this, she got a chance to walk the ramp for the first time in New York Fashion Week. After this she has participated in many international shows.
Dream came true despite health problems
Due to Down syndrome, Madeleine Stuart faced many health problems in the beginning of her life and also underwent heart surgery, but she says that one should not give up. Even in the modeling industry, she did not fit according to the traditional standards and due to this she also faced discrimination. Still he made his mark and now he is an inspiration. Obstacles can’t stop you. We all should keep this in mind.
View this post on Instagram
Molly Bair
Beauty does not depend on any standard, it improves every day with your hard work. This has been proved by Molly Bair, not the model. Who was teased in childhood because of his tall height, different facial features and thin body. Due to this, she also felt insecure, but gradually she moved towards success in the industry and today she is a well-known personality in the fashion industry.
Beauty has no definition!
Molly Bair is recognized for her ‘alien-like’ beauty. She has impressed and impressed people in the fashion world with her big ears and unique face. The Molly Baer story shows that you can create your own identity by breaking away from stereotypical beauty standards.
Victoria Modesta
Victoria Modesta is a British-Latvian model. Along with this, he is also a singer and performing artist. He has made his own weakness his strength. Actually, she is a prosthetic icon, hence she is recognized all over the world with her unique identity.
View this post on Instagram
hoisted the flag after defeating incompetence
Victoria Modesta had a problem in her left leg since childhood. Because of this, he underwent several surgeries and finally, giving priority to his health, he took a difficult decision. He got his leg amputated. After this, he worked using fashion based artificial legs and created a distinct identity for himself. Even today she is a well-known name in the world of modeling.