Winnie Harlow On Diversity

WINNIE HARLOW ON DIVERSITY "It's amazing to be among the wave of rule breakers"

"There are a lot of people that would say my skin is what made my career, but my skin condition is not something new. It’s not like I was the first person to have it, it’s not new, so to be able to break boundaries with something that for years people have said is ugly, or something that should hold you back, it’s mainly hard work that gets you to where you want to be regardless of the boundaries that you're faced with."

-Winnie Harlow

FROM “COW” TO COVER GIRL

Canadian model Winnie Harlow was once bullied for her appearance.

Labeled “cow” and “zebra,” she suffered so much she was forced to pull out of high school. But far from becoming a recluse, Harlow is now on catwalks worldwide and the face of global brands.

Canadian model WINNIE HARLOW, born Chantelle BrownYoung, did not have an easy childhood. At the age of four she was diagnosed with VITILIGO, an incurable skin pigmentation disease that causes colorless patches to develop on a person’s body.

Bullied for the way she looked, her peers at school taunted her with cruel nicknames such as “cow” and “zebra”. “The bullying was so bad that I was forced to drop out and be home schooled,” Harlow recalls.

Fast-forward to 2016 and Harlow has over one million followers on Instagram, she’s the face of Spanish fashion label Desigual and she’s been shot by fashion photographer and director of online platform SHOWstudio Nick Knight, whose portfolio includes Kate Moss, Lady Gaga and Kanye.

From social pariah to GLOBAL “IT” GIRL, Harlow sits down with CNN to discuss her remarkable ascendance to fashion’s top table.

CNN: How did you overcome being bullied as a child?

Winnie Harlow: [Dropping out of high school] was possibly the best thing that could have happened, because I found a rejuvenated sense of self. I learned to love who I am despite what anyone would say about or to me. This gave me the courage to really stand up to anyone or any obstacle in my life.

CNN: How did you get into fashion?

WH: To be completely honest I never thought I could become a model growing up. I actually wanted to be an entertainment journalist. I started pursuing modeling after I had an interview with a Toronto Photographer, Shannon Boodram, and she encouraged me to continue pushing.

From there I started to build myself up by leveraging social media. After Tyra gave me that opportunity it was my time.

When “America’s Next Top Model” (ANTM) was casting for the new season I asked all my fans online to tag Tyra Banks

so she could see my photos -- and they did! My little sister started a Facebook page for me and one of the producers from the show sent a message showing interest. Initially I didn’t believe it but I followed through and ended up being on the show for season 21. After Tyra gave me that opportunity it was my time.

CNN: Does prejudice and discrimination still exist within fashion?

WH: I think the industry is opening up but still needs to accept various forms of beauty as a standard, as opposed to an occurrence now and then. I want to see different faces on the covers of magazines, the stars of movies, featured on billboards... It’s time we open the market up and embrace people from all walks of life.

CNN: Are there any liberating aspects to the fashion industry?

WH: The most liberating thing is being able to just simply be myself and show the fashion industry that beauty can come in many forms. How important is social me-

dia in changing and developing concepts of beauty? I think it helps. Social media when used positively and correctly can act as a great tool for you to meet people from around the world and ultimately share what you have to offer.

CNN: Your look has become a fashion statement in and of itself. What do you think of the backlash against some of the people trying to imitate your condition?

WH: I did share my ideas on my Instagram but to reiterate I think that people are not imitating me in a negative form. They were showing their version of me and I appreciated it.

“It is very clear to me when someone is showing love. I appreciate these people recreating, loving and broadcasting something that I once cried myself to sleep over.”

CNN: Can you predict what the fashion industry’s desired ‘look’ will be in the future?

WH: Not 100%, but whatever it is, I plan to be at the forefront.

WINNIE HARLOW ON DIVERSITY IN FASHION: “IT’S LIKE A SHOCK VALUE, OR A TREND”

Fashion is finally embracing difference and diversity—but too many in the industry are doing it just because it’s on-trend, says model Winnie Harlow. By Alison de Souza

Diversity is bang on-trend these days. And if a contradiction could sum up the complexities of the fashion industry, it’s that a business built in no small part on being an exclusive inner circle is finally seeing the upside of embracing difference, from plussize to gender non-binary and every stripe in between.

But one of the poster children for this movement, Canadian model Winnie Harlow, is calling it to account. Diversity shouldn’t just be the flavour of the month, and yet that is precisely what it often boils down to, she tells Harper’s Bazaar Singapore—despite the industry patting itself on its back for being more inclusive in recent years.

Discovered on Instagram by America’s Next Top Model creator Tyra Banks, the 23-year-old, who has the skin depigmentation condition known as vitiligo, appeared on the 21st cycle of the reality series in 2014. Competing under her real name, Chantelle Brown-Young, she didn’t win, but emerged as a fan favourite and one of the series’ most bankable stars. Hired to front brands such as Diesel and Desigual, and walk the runways for Dior and Marc Jacobs, Harlow is now one of the world’s most recognisable models, often credited with helping change the face of fashion with her unconventional beauty. But she astutely notes that in many respects, she remains the exception that proves the rule. At our cover shoot in Los Angeles, the model observes that because diversity is the buzzword du jour, it is not uncommon for fashion houses and media to pay lip-service to it for a single shoot, campaign or season, then quietly go back to their retrograde ways. Thus, while the industry has taken steps towards

being more inclusive, “it still has a ways to go”, she concludes.

“It’s really about people opening their minds, not just for a season, a trend or a show but, like, actually properly diversifying.

“I’m proud of the recent changes being made in the realms of fashion and beauty. It’s amazing to be among the wave of rule breakers for diversity. I keep hearing this term ‘new norm’ but really, this was always the norm; it’s just beautiful that it’s finally coming to light.”

Even then, a star like Harlow still experiences discrimination in the business, where hiring her is seen as a creative and commercial risk. Conversely, when one of her campaigns does well, everyone then clamours to work with her; including those who rejected her before, she reveals with a laugh.

Thus, it is a mistake to simply assume progress will keep marching forward. Harlow cites a report showing the proportion of people of colour on covers of leading American fashion publications actually dropped in 2017 compared to 2016. “How is it reversing rather than growing?” she says incredulously. “I feel like until the number of diverse models that are on covers is equal to the number of white girls on covers every year, we have work to do.”

She has given the psychology behind this backsliding some thought. “I find the reason why it sometimes goes forward and then backwards is because people are, like, ‘Okay, cool, I’m going to put a whatever model on the cover to make a difference, and then next season it’s right back to the same thing’, you know? Which isn’t diversifying; it’s like shock value, or a trend,” says the London-based model.

And while it is well and good to put more unconventional models on magazine covers or runways, the industry often overlooks the finer points, especially in how it deals with non-white hair and skin tones. Harlow grows animated talking about the latter—it turns out she is something of a makeup ninja, expert at blending products for her skin tones, and often more adept than the professionals hired to do it for her. ‘When I was younger, there was still no such thing as darker shades. Once I reached high school was when they started with a little here and there, and now it’s (even more of) a big change from five years ago.

“But a lot of brands still have a way to go,” she says—an observation that proves prescient, coming just before the outcry over Kim Kardashian’s new makeup line, an ad for which shows a black model with 16 shades of concealer dabbed on her arm, none of them dark enough for her own skin. Staring at a shelf of makeup clearly not made with you in mind is something many Asian shoppers can relate to, as can anyone whose skin tone falls outside the standard-issue “Western” palette. “Some brands are really understanding that it’s discrimination (not to have more shades). And it is, period,” she says emphatically. not my face, you know?”

"I'M PROUD OF MY SKIN"

V

itiligo affects one in every one hundred people. It is a disorder in which white patches of skin appear on different parts of the body and is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks parts of an individual’s own body. With vitiligo, the immune system destroys melanocytes, the cells that make pigment in the skin.

Diagnosis of vitiligo carries many implications for those living with the disorder. Most will embark on a combined treatment of traditional and alternative medications and a course of light therapy, in which patients are exposed to ultraviolet A (UVA) or UVB light.

The emotional aspects of living with vitiligo are very real but often overlooked. Many children who have the disorder face egregious teasing and bullying. The disorder can affect people’s emotional and psychological wellbeing with many people reporting feelings of anxiety, embarrassment, shame and depression. Young people in particular are prone to bouts of anxiety, depression and feelings of alienation. Children and young adults tend to be image conscious and can find the disorder and its symptoms devastating.

Growing up in Etobicoke, on the western periphery of Toronto, Winnie faced her fair share of bullying, with her peers calling her nasty names and, on some occasions, being physically abusive. “I don’t think my skin condition affected my self-esteem as much as the people around me affected my self-esteem,” says the twenty-year old. “It was other people’s opinions.”

A chance encounter with Toronto journalist Shannon Boodram led to a YouTube video about Winnie and her condition. The video quickly garnered more than 150,000 hits. It was Boodram who encouraged Winnie, who was just sixteen years old at the time, to consider modelling.

“She called me and told me that I should keep modelling, that the camera loved me and that I was a natural,” says Winnie. “She actually didn’t believe that had been my first photo shoot.”

Winnie soon found herself the subject of a media frenzy with features published in The Daily Mail and Access Hollywood but it was in 2014 that Winnie became a household name when she competed on Tyra Banks’ legendary America’s Next Top Model.

In an industry rife with outdated stereotypes of beauty, Winnie is redefining global standards of beauty. “I believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” says Winnie, who is the face of global fashion brand, Desigual.

Many people are slow to embrace change and are fearful of anything outside the norm but, in Winnie’s own words, it is these differences that make us unique and authentic. Striving to make fashion less aspirational and more inspirational, Winnie continues to be her true self and inspire people around the world.

“I always say you should focus on your own opinion of yourself, rather than the opinions of others.”

Winnie Harlow (born Chantelle Brown-Young; July 27, 1994) Born to Jamaican parents and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Chantelle Winnie was just four years old when she was diagnosed with vitiligo.

W

hen Chantelle Brown-Young was 4 years old, a white patch appeared on her stomach.

She was diagnosed with the skin pigment disorder vitiligo, and over the next several years, she watched more white patches pop up all over her body.

She was bullied, people called her names, and friends distanced themselves from her because their parents were concerned they’d “catch” it from her (even though vitiligo isn’t contagious). But she hasn’t let any of the hardship over the years stop her — and tonight, YoungBrown makes her debut on the 21st cycle of America’s Next Top Model .

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, one to two million people in the United States have been diagnosed with vitiligo. Most people generally develop it before their 40th birthday, and it affects all races and sexes.

Growing up was tough; the Toronto native told TODAY.com that she was called “cow” and “zebra” in middle and high school, and that puberty was even more difficult than usual. “You’re already having changes you don’t understand, plus this skin condition that I didn’t ask for that has to do with other people’s opinions and other people’s bullying.”

But then, at the age of 16, BrownYoung was discovered by a Toronto photographer who encouraged her to model.

She began posting photos of her modeling on Instagram, which led to Tyra Banks herself catching notice of her — and in spite of the fact that the now-20-year-old was still relatively green, her assistant got in touch with her and asked her to compete. “I’d only been modeling for maybe a year before she found me, so I was pretty fresh,” Brown-Young said to People. “The fact that she wanted me so badly for her show will stick with me for the rest of my life.”

Brown-Young joins Cheri Lindsay of the recent Dermablend Camo Confessions campaign as an inspiration to those with vitiligo, as well as a whole host of other folks breaking down beauty boundaries.

From body builder Blake Beckford, to Miss Idaho winner Sierra Sandison, to model Bethany Townsend, there’s a growing movement toward acceptance and celebration. As Bustle’s Tori Telfer noted in her piece about the Dermablend campaign, the message was that “the ‘real them’ is them, their entire personhood, and not simply their faces.” It’s about the whole package — which is what I think everyone from Brown-Young to Townsend are about. People are more than the sum of their parts, and all of this is proof of the fact.

“Chantelle Winnie is my birth name.

Chantelle Winnie Harlow, I call her my Sasha Fierce,” Brown-Young explained, calling up Beyonce’s alter-ego during a conversation with TODAY.com.

Winnie Harlow From New York to Shanghai, GRAZIA travels across the world and makes two fashionable pit-stops with the bold and vivacious Chantelle Brown-Young, better known as Winnie Harlow.

Here’s how this icon – and newly minted Victoria’s Secret model – is changing the conversation around beauty.

GRAZIA: You are very boldly changing the conversation around beauty. What is your hope for the industry?

WINNIE HARLOW: “Thank you! I hope the conversation around beauty continues to be more and more inclusive.

I’m glad that I’m contributing to that, but I feel as if there’s a lot more work that needs to be done.”

GRAZIA: You famously said in your TED talk “make your own mould for what beauty is.” To you, what is beauty? And how did you arrive at finding yours?

WH: “Beauty starts with self-acceptance. Just like everyone else, I have days where I feel more confident than others, but I arrived at finding my mould of beauty when I started to accept things as they are, and most importantly, love who I am.

GRAZIA: One scroll of your Instagram shows you are a woman who really celebrates other women’s achievements.

You recently posted a post about Kim Kardashian West at the CDFA Awards where you thanked her for being unapologetically herself in an industry that didn’t initially accept her. You allude to the notion you too didn’t originally feel accepted by the fashion industry, can you tell me a little bit about that?

WH: “I respect Kim for not trying to be someone who she’s not in order to make others happy. It’s tough to always be that headstrong, and to break through the clutter. I didn’t always feel accepted but I’m glad things are changing.

I think staying true to myself has been my guiding light so far.”

GRAZIA: At what stage did you begin to accept yourself as you were and not worry about what other people think?

Was there a moment?

WH: “Self-acceptance is a process. There was no singular moment that pivoted how I felt about myself. It’s just been a journey, and as I do more work that I feel proud of, it gets easier.”

GRAZIA: At what point in your career have you felt the strongest?

WH: “Right now! Experience in this industry helps you grow. It’s not easy, but the more you work, the more confidence you gain and the stronger you become.”

GRAZIA: How do you define success?

WH: “Achieving your goals and not giving up while staying true to yourself despite the naysayers and challenges you may face along the way.”

GRAZIA: To look back at when you first started out as a model and your time on America’s Next Top Model, how have you evolved as a woman?

WH: “Both professionally and personally, I’ve grown a lot. When you enter this industry, you don’t really know what’s ahead of you, but I’ve managed to get a grasp on handling it all!”

GRAZIA: What’s a hard lesson you’ve learnt during your career?

WH: "Persevere. You have to always keep going. You’re not going to get every job or be casted for every show, but you have to keep it moving and look ahead. It’s hard. But it’s essential.”

GRAZIA: You do reply to some comments and fans on social media. Have you ever suffered from anxiety after posting or been hurt my online comments WH: “Sometimes, but every day I try to rise above it. For every negative comment, there are a lot of positive ones as well. You can’t let the words of nasty people get to you. It’s not worth the energy.”

GRAZIA: You are one of the most recognisable faces on the international catwalk. You have recounted how you were bullied when you were younger. If one of those kids who made cruel jokes to you was in front of you right now, what would yousay to them?

WH: “I think I’d just laugh at this point. I’m so far removed for the little girl who was bullied as a child. I’m not vengeful or out to hurt anyone, even if they’ve hurt me in the past. Not worth the energy.”

GRAZIA: When someone has been brought down by another person, bullied or teased, what is your advice for resetting their mindset into a positive one?

WH: “Every dog has their day. Stay strong and rise above it. It can be so hard when you’re in the situation, trust me I remember, but sooner than later, it’ll get better if you stay true to yourself and persevere.”

GRAZIA: You’ve spoken about a really interesting notion; the fashion industry is finally diversifying. But, in doing so, booking the “different” model in some cases is “trendy”. In your opinion is the industry moving progressively forward or going backwards?

WH: “Overall it’s moving forward, but yes, the “different” model seems to be trendy right now. Hopefully it’s just an imprint of good things to come.”

GRAZIA: You were told by a model agency as a 16-year-old that you wouldn’t make it as a model. What drives you?

What propelled you forward?

WH: “That was tough but I’m glad I kept trying. You can’t stop when people tell you no. People are always going to say no and you have to be stronger and tell yourself yes. Believing in myself has always kept me driven and now, when I meet a young girl who tells me that I helped them feel good, I know this was all worth it!”

GRAZIA: Something that is so striking about you is your confidence and message to be at peace with yourself. Why is this message so important for women in 2018?

WH: “It’s always been important for women, not just in 2018! It’s just that today, people are finally talking about it.

You have to accept yourself, and nourish yourself with love. If you’re not at peace with who you are, nothing else will work out. It’s the most important thing to try and find self-confidence.”

“No one was born perfect, and you can’t put off liking yourself until you achieve an idea of ‘perfection."

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DRESS to KILL

}

Winnie has emerged as one of our absolute favorite celeb style obsessions. Harlow has a chameleon ability to serve everything from a fully glam green-carpet princess to an effortlessly cool all-white-outfit, and pulls them all off with equal panache.

She is, simply put, a delight to see. And if she’s not high on your list of style inspirations yet, the looks ahead will surely change your mind.

Here are Winnie Harlow’s most iconic outfits so far.

SIMPLE STRUCTURE

WHITE OUT

Go ahead, name a person who has ever looked more divine in an all-white outfit than Harlow attending a fashion show in Berlin—we’ll wait. Please also do yourself a favor and notice that those boots go alllll the way up, stopping just below the pockets of her jeans. We are unworthy of this space-age angel.

Sometimes, simple is best. On her way to the GQ Awards in London, Harlow brought a high-fashion trend—the strongly structured, intricately laced dress—straight down to earth with black heels, minimal accessories, and her beaming smile.

CINDERELLA MOMENT

Style watchers had Winnie Harlow on their radar for a few years prior, but this was the moment when everyone sat up and started noticing. Harlow served us a literal Cinderella moment from the Cannes red carpet in 2017, and announced herself as one of the most masterful entrance-makers of all time.

The fashion world had been basically obsessed with these slightly-slouchy, ultra-high boots ever since Rihanna wore them on Instagram, but Harlow is definitely tied for best boots with her rainbow-flecked pair, worn with a miniskirt, hoodie and high ponytail.

Obsessed with this look.

ALL T H E WAY UP

EARN YOUR STRI PES

On the Tommy Hilfiger runway in Milan earlier this year, Harlow masters the mix of athleisure—those high-waisted joggers—and retro, racing-inspired pieces for a look that’s very “pit crew, but make it fashion.”

WINTER WEAR

And finally, your fall inspiration. Back in February 2017, Harlow stomped it out on the streets of Soho in sleek black leather leggings, an oversized faux fur coat, and flannel, giving us classic model off-duty vibes. This look is so New York it’s practically waiting in line for a cronut.

Winnie Harlow makes history as first model with vitiligo to walk Victoria's Secret Fashion Show... as she dazzles in skimpy pink lingerie and feathers.

Chantelle Brown-Young, who goes by the name Winnie Harlow, has walked the runways at New York Fashion Week (NYFW), appeared in ad campaigns, and promoted a message of self-love and body positivity through social media.

When Winnie Harlow hits the Victoria's Secret runway for the first time tonight, she'll make history. As the first model with vitiligo to join VS's cast of Angels, Winnie's appearance is a step toward diversifying a runway that's been notoriously limited in its representation of women.

And, that's not lost on the model and activist. Of her inclusion in the 2018 show, Winnie told People: "It means the world to me. Victoria's Secret might be the biggest show there is because of how many people are able to watch it around the world, so to be a part of diversifying the Victoria's Secret Angel landscape is a true honour that I'm so proud of. Any step towards a truly equal and diverse modelling industry is great, but for a huge brand like Victoria's Secret to include me as a model with vitiligo is a huge step to normalizing it in the entire industry.

I'm glad to be the first, but part of me is also sad that there weren't any before me and I hope that there are many more in the future. We need to work towards diversity, not for the sake of it, but to make it the norm. And I hope this is a big step toward that."

Vitiligo is a skin disorder that causes pigment-free patches of skin to appear randomly on the body. It happens when the cells responsible for skin pigment, melanocytes, are destroyed. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but some experts believe it might be an autoimmune disease— meaning the immune system attacks the body’s pigment-producing cells.

Living with a skin condition like vitiligo can be isolating, but throughout her career, Harlow has proved that it doesn’t have to hold you back fom living life to the fullest. Harlow has previously made it clear that she is not a vitiligo sufferer, but that she is "a vitiligo model" who is "succeeding."

And succeeding she has been. She appeared on America's Next Top Model, gained an Instagram following of millions and had many different modeling opportunities.

The Toronto native shared an emotional Instagram post after finding out she was cast in the show. In the post, Harlow recalls her nerves during the casting.

"I had a break down before I walked into the most nerve wr[acking] casting of my life," she recalled. "I asked my driver to go around the block twice before I could walk into the Victoria's Secret offices so I could re coup [sic]." The model continued that when it came time for her audition she "walked for her life." She then thanked everyone for their support in her journey. "Thank you for giving me all the energy and kindness in that room ... Thank you mommy for praying with me every day for the past three days. And thank you so much to my fans who have been pushing me forward to this point in my career."

In an exclusive interview with Vogue confirming her casting in the latest show, the model discussed diversity and the importance of representation. "Why is there a stigma around being different when we're all different?" she asked.

“Representation is so important, and I want to [stand for] all women," she wrote. "Every single woman.”

The 24-year-old Toronto native made her industry debut on America’s Next Top Model in 2014. Since then, she’s walked countless runways, appeared in Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade, and become a role model to her 4.6 million followers on Instagram. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, however, was always her dream.

“It’s the pinnacle of my career,” Harlow told Vogue in a September interview. “I told anyone [who] asked, ‘I want Victoria’s Secret!’” She also said she wanted to use the opportunity as a chance to defy cultural beauty standards. “Why is there a stigma around being different when we’re all different?”

She’s right, and that’s something that can be hard to remember if you're living with a skin condition. Chelsey Hamilton, who was diagnosed with vitiligo at age 17, know all about this. In a previous Health story, she explained her experience.

“I was stunned by my diagnosis. Whenever I'd had a medical issue before, I could just take a pill or see another doctor to make it better... To even out my skin tone, I globbed concealer on my face and slathered tanning lotions all over my body… My self-confidence plummeted. I felt ugly,” Hamilton wrote.

Eventually, Hamilton learned to accept her white patches, and thanks to the example of people like Harlow, others with skin conditions can find the strength to do the same.

If you're going to shoot a perfectly of-the-moment Canadian designer editorial, there's only one model for the job right now: Chantelle Brown-Young, also known as Winnie Harlow.

Y

ou probably watched the cycle of America’s Next Top Model that introduced the world to the girl with vitiligo from the GTA and on which she won the highest number of public votes. You may have seen her TEDxTalk, “My Story Is Painted on My Body,” which she gave in 2014 under her given name, Chantelle Brown-Young, and which has had over 500,000 views. And if you’ve seen her in Beyoncé’s Freedom video, there’s a good chance you also remember when Drake namechecked her in a song on If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.

But if the Prince Harry story feels like an “Oh, Winnie” moment, then either (a) you read the Daily Mail (safe space here) and so will have seen her “stepping out” on the regular, sometimes with rumoured (and maybe ex?) BF Lewis Hamilton, (b) you’re one of her 1.5 million Insta followers or (c) you spent a day with her, like we did, chatting about everything you’d expect any other 22-year-old would be into: boys, hair, funny things her relatives’ kids say.

And that’s the fascinating thing about Harlow: She’s not exactly distancing herself from the physical difference that initially brought her fame (and campaigns for Desigual, Sprite and Swarovski), but she is trying to move beyond it.

On-set, we got the sense that Harlow was there to be a model—working hard to get it right, giving as much on the 12th shot as she gave on the first, not complaining about things running over schedule—but she wasn’t there to be a spokeswoman for vitiligo. In fact, the only time that she was anything but relaxed was when someone asked her an offhand question about the condition. Harlow answered it briefly—the Coles Notes version of an explanation she has clearly given 1,000 times before—but it obviously broke her flow in front of the camera. Shortly after that, she asked her cousin (who’d come with her, along with an assistant) to change the music playing on the studio’s sound system. “Something I can dance to,” she requested from behind the camera, swishing the black Sid Neigum dress around her. Later that same week, our editor-in-chief,

Vanessa Craft, got on the phone with Harlow to keep the conversation going and had a chat about career, labels and the fact that she’s just getting started. What have you been up to since the shoot? “I’m taking my time being home [in Mississauga]. Today my girls are coming over and we’re going to make American Thanksgiving dinner.”

Are you a good cook? “I make a good oxtail stew, but I don’t cook too often so I don’t know what else I could make.” You just need one showpiece dish and then you can pretend.

“Right? The mantrap!” [Laughs] Okay, we need to focus on this interview. Have you ever made any fashion faux pas? “My sense of fashion has developed a lot. Even working with my new management for the past year has changed it. I still have my ’hood style—I still like to wear my gold chains and my grills.

I’m surprised I don’t still have a gold nameplate from back in the day.” Speaking of back in the day, I know when I was growing up, I wasted a lot of time trying to fit in and not be different from everyone else. Was that your experience? “Like any other kid, I was trying so hard to fit in that school made no sense to me. I wasn’t attending class; I was trying to hang out in the caf with the cool kids. I was always trying to be cool.

In the end, the vice-principal told my mom it would be best for me to go to an alternative school where I was only there when I had class and then I left. That helped me to focus on my studies and not on everyone else and what they were doing.”

Did you grow up feeling comfortable in your own skin? “As a child, I really hated it. I think, regardless of my skin condition, my mom is very conservative with dressing—like, when she’s helping me do laundry and she sees a thong, she’s like, ‘What is this dental floss in your laundry basket?’ With my skin, I have to avoid direct contact with the sun, so that combined with my mom being conservative meant I grew up wearing stockings under shorts and long sleeves under tank tops. It was kind of embedded in me that I was supposed to be covering up.

“the real difference isn’t my skin. It’s the fact that I don’t find my beauty in the opinions of others.

I’m beautiful because I know it. Celebrate Your unique beauty today (& everyday)!”

As I grew up, people would still stare, but, I don’t know, me feeling uncomfortable just disappeared. I’d be walking out with friends and they’d be like, ‘Don’t you feel everyone staring?’ and I’d be like, ‘No, I actually don’t. I just don’t care.’”

Do you ever get tired of having to address all this? “I’m very sick of talking about my skin.”

There’s so much more to you than that. “Precisely. I am literally just a human. I have the same brain as you; there’s a skeleton under my skin just like yours. It’s not that serious.”

On-set we talked about how as women of colour become more successful, you often become the only black person in the room. Do you ever feel pressure to perform or speak on behalf of “all your people”?

“I don’t put pressure on myself. People try to put it on me—like I speak for women, for black women. There’s so many other pieces to me. I’m not a vitiligo spokesperson just because I have vitiligo. I don’t perm my hair anymore, but I’m not a natural-hair expert just because it grows out of my head like that.”

So true. “I’m just living life. And if that inspires you, I’m proud, but I’m not going to put pressure on myself to be the best person in the world and tell everyone I have vitiligo. If you want to know about it, you can do your research. Either way, I’m not in the dictionary under ‘vitiligo.’”

Are you comfortable being seen as a role model? “I feel like I am an inspiration. That’s the word I prefer. I don’t believe that I have to be a role model, someone to be emulated. My mom inspires me, and I take great things from her, but there are things from my mom that I would never do. So I don’t have my mother as a role model, but I do have her

as a huge inspiration.”

Your career has really taken off in the past year. Do you have a proudest moment so far? “When I signed with my new agency, I had a list; I said these were the things I was trying to accomplish in one year and five years. One thing on my list was [to do] more covers, and I already have five covers.”

What’s the biggest goal for you? “As a woman, one day I will have a family and be a sweet little housewife and take my kids to soccer and ballet and piano lessons. But until then...”

I’m hitting the club. “That too! [Laughs] I plan to walk for Victoria’s Secret one day. I’d be so honoured if they would have me. People say I should get into acting because of my big personality, and, honestly, I will say I’m a bit of a crazy person. I walk around my house having a fake argument with a boyfriend who has cheated on me, and I’ll go so far as to have my eyes watering as I’m cussing out this fake boyfriend, just to see if I can pull that emotion.”

Do you have a mantra? “I have a couple, but one of my most liked Instagrams is actually a quote I came up with myself. It’s ‘Confidence doesn’t eliminate insecurities, and insecurities don’t mean you’re not confident.’”

Did something happen in your life to inspire that? “This goes back to me not talking about my skin. The picture was me in a bra and underwear, and when I took the photo, I was in the middle of doing my makeup. Everyone was like, ‘Oh, if she’s talking about confidence, she must be talking about her skin,’ but I was actually just saying that we all wear makeup and have insecurities. My contour is an unblended stripe on my face, and no one even saw that!”

Do you feel like people project onto you that you have to always be about loving yourself, never changing yourself? “A former friend of mine got a nose job, and I was the most supportive person of that nose job. I’m not the person that people portray me to be. I love myself the way I am, but people will always message me about other people with vitiligo who cover their skin. ‘Winnie Harlow, you need to tell them that they need to love themselves the way they are and stop covering their skin!’ No! If that’s what makes them comfortable and what makes them happy, let them be. This is just what makes me happy. Right? So that’s why I do it. But that’s not me saying ‘Well, you must never get a nose job, you must not cover your skin, let your pimples shine free.’ [Laughs] Cover all of those fuckers up.”

“I think it is human nature to have confidence—the same way I don’t think people are born with racism or anything negative. All those things are developed, we’ll always have our insecurities, but it’s important to focus on yourself. “

Designed by: Elizabeth GarcĂ­a Luna Model: Chantelle Brown-Young Photos/Image: Web