When I first decided to work in the fashion industry, I immediately thought how fun it would be to live a Carrie Bradshaw life, frolicking around NYC and talking about designer shoes. Then, the realities of the industry set in–most people were not living that life, and if they were, many of them didn’t look like me. The sad reality was that the fashion industry had an issue with women like me, women who weren’t a certain size, a certain socioeconomic status, or shade range. So it was really important for me to not only amplify MY voice in this conversation, but other women of color as well. So I was super proud when Precious Lee, plus-size model and #BlackGirlMagic personified, wrote a piece for Refinery29 exemplifying this sentiment. Here’s a few of my favorite excerpts from the letter:
“When I first decided to move to New York and become a full-time model, I knew that I would face many ‘what ifs.’ But instead of focusing on the negatives — What if I don’t book enough jobs to support myself? What if clients think this or that of me? What if I don’t make it? — I chose to think of the positives: What if I could actually change the way people feel about diversity? What if I could be in Vogue? What if I could be on a billboard? What if I could walk a New York Fashion Week show for a high-fashion designer? What if I could actually be a chunky Black supermodel? My goal was to make these ‘what ifs’ my reality.”
On campaign she was part of: “The campaign went viral and was everywhere you looked: The subway, Times Square, Sunset Boulevard, even on South Park! It was a ‘what if’ manifesting right before my eyes. That was one of three consecutive viral campaigns I shot for them, later including a three-page spread in Sports Illustrated. Me, the chunky Black girl from College Park, Georgia, in a bikini on billboards and magazines across the nation. It was ‘the what ifs, the magnanimous possibilities of this life, this now, this minute.’ ”
On the 67%: “What if we all let go of the labels and fears in fashion and media? What if designers, casting directors, and publications truly embraced the 67%? Because the reality is, we are the norm. The author of the poem ‘The What Ifs,’ artist Jill Scott, is a part of the 67%. My high school teacher who introduced me to the poem, Ms. Kinlaw, is also a part of the 67%. We are the majority, not the minority. If I’ve learned anything from my journey as a model, I know that the ‘what ifs’ are malleable, and we all deserve to be relentless with our goals.”
Read the whole thing over at Refinery29.
*None of the photos do I own or are from the Ref.29 op-ed.
