12 models who are championing a brighter future for women through their activism

Back in the day, models were expected to be attractive, skinny, tall and taciturn—their opinions, beliefs and issues held almost no weightage when compared to their sharp looks. In the ’90s, we were graced with a glimmer of hope when supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington raised their voices against the use of fur in Peta’s “I'd rather go naked than wear fur” campaign, which sparked a huge debate in the fashion industry. And last month, the British Fashion Council announced that Campbell will be honoured with the prestigious Fashion Icon award at The Fashion Awards 2019 this year, for championing female empowerment and diversity. To commemorate her achievement, Vogue takes a look at twelve powerful voices who have lent their support to the issues rampant in the modelling industry, from biased casting practices to climate change.

Anjali Lama on inclusivity and transgender rights

Trans model Anjali Lama has broken countless gender barriers in the modelling industry. Despite facing rejection on many occasions, Lama finally had a breakthrough at Lakmé Fashion Week, which heralded her as the first transgender model to walk on the runway. Lama has openly spoken about the difficulties faced by a transgender model, and strongly advocates the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in India’s fashion industry.

Nidhi Sunil on skin colour

While Indian models are crossing over into international boundaries and setting new milestones, the industry in India is still stuck revolving around its unrealistic beauty standards. Fair skin is given as much preference as possible over dusky or dark skin. Model Nidhi Sunil, who has first-hand faced the issue of being discriminated over her skin colour, openly talks about how she fails to understand the term “dusky”—that’s used too often in India.

Nitika Chopra on chronic illness

Nitika Chopra was diagnosed with a debilitating case of psoriasis at a young age of 10 years, and when she was 19, psoriatic arthritis took over most of her joints, leaving her in severe pain. Today, Chopra has no qualms about sharing her chronic illness journey and its learnings with fellow women through her Instagram page Chronic Official.

Kanishtha Dhankhar on environmental issues

When she’s not being a muse to Sabyasachi Mukherjee, supermodel Kanishtha Dhankhar is busy raising awareness about the growing concerns of single-use plastic and its detrimental effects on the environment.

Adwoa Aboah on feminism, mental health and addiction

Self-care begins at home, and if you’re not sure how to begin, look no further than Adwoa Aboah’s Gurls Talk. Founded by Aboah, the website is an online community for young women to share and discuss issues such as depression, addiction, relationships, sexuality and mental health. The platform has become a safe zone for many, as you will note by the number of honest, moving letters penned by girls from all around the world.

Cameron Russell on climate change and fair wages

One scroll through Cameron Russell’s Instagram account will provide insight into all the social, political and environmental issues she cares about—whether it is spreading awareness about climate change, or advocating ethical working conditions and fair wages for garment workers. Her TED Talk from 2013 helped garner her attention for her causes—the ten-minute video talks about everything from how she won “a genetic lottery” for her looks to the prevalent lack of diversity in the fashion industry.

Leomie Anderson on women’s issues

Yet another TED speaker, Leomie Anderson is the founder of LAPP, a blog that supports women’s issues, including relationships, sex, mental health and more. In addition to the blog, Anderson also launched LAPP The Brand, a clothing label that aims to empower women and promote body positivity through its feminist messaging.

Lauren Wasser on physical disabilities

In 2012, model Lauren Wasser suffered from a case of tampon-related toxic shock syndrome (TSS) that left her without her right leg and left toes. Six years later, Wasser had her left leg amputated because of continuing complications. This episode prompted the model to turn into an educator and spread awareness about the dangers and risks of TSS. Today, she also represents the physically impaired in the fashion industry.

Charli Howard and Clémentine Desseaux on body positivity

Body image is a prevalent issue amassing concern in the fashion industry, and no model—neither thin or plus-size—is spared from it. To help other women accept themselves for who they are and celebrate themselves, models Charli Howard and Clémentine Desseaux started All Womxn Project, a photo series of diverse, non-retouched campaigns that are empowering and positive in equal measure.

Ebonee Davis on biased casting practices

Ebonee Davis has safely established that her career is not limited to modelling in the fashion industry. She wrote an impassioned open letter in 2016 that called out the fashion industry’s biased casting practices, and even struck a conversation on the existing issues of diversity during her TED Talk in 2017, highlighting her experiences as a black model.

Arizona Muse on environmental issues and sustainability

Another model to raise her voice against environmental issues—especially those caused by the use of plastic—is Arizona Muse. The model also shares a keen interest in sustainability—right from what fabrics to use to how to shop ethically.

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