Models // Perceptions and Strength

We think of models, striking and beautiful people of a level of 'perfection' to most or a strange beauty perhaps but they're there and we all know that it's almost like another world. Obviously sending out these messages also delivers a completely misconstrued version of health and a healthy body. 

I don't really want to post about how models affect our visions of ourselves, more so about how society as a whole enforces such strict rules and guidelines of what's considered normal or beautiful especially when anything that's not to the norm is completely disregarded. Reading this Guardian post //here// by Casey Legler made me considered a real issue here, why do we feel we need to pursue anything different with such conviction?

Casey Legler being a woman cast onto Ford's male model board, I love as an idea and not even so as a gender issue I just think it really works the whole idea that she as a woman can model just as well as a guy. I think she's brilliant! It works and obviously men have done the same and modelled for women's clothing too. 

 

Rather than saying it's an issue to gender I see it as more of an identity issue, love the idea or hate it Casey Legler works perfectly for male modelling and I see that as more so a part of her identity. Another example of this is Carmen Carrera famously known from her participation on RuPaul's Drag Race who then transitioned into a woman, she walked in the Marco Marco runway show below alongside other drag professionals. 

Since this video was released online I also noticed a petition on change.org //here// called "@VictoriasSectret: Make Carmen Carrera the first trans VS model", if you watch the above video you see Carmen Carrera walking, amazingly I might add. My problem here is again people don't seem happy about it or claim it's a gender issue however IF Carmen Carrera was biologically born a woman would we be having this discussion? Probably not. 

All you need to do is take one look at both Carmen and Casey to realise they're good at what they do, forgetting gender it's irrelevent. So why the issue? Casey in her article says "There is a historical tradition you should know about and it is certainly not about gender. It is about being fierce." I mean does much more need to be said, the fashion industry should be there to break conventions and help socially. 

It should be here to educate people and promote self love and individuality, by people having a problem with either of these two people you're sending out the complete opposite message. I LOVE the look of them both, they're both fierce and definitely sources of inspiration and role models proving difference isn't a hinderance. Look at campaigns such as All Walks, promoting equality in fashion we're in the 21st century here yet still something needs to change. 

Identity. 

It's all we strive for and aim to achieve and personally fashion should see that they're there to help guide them, fashion's soul focus shouldn't lie in trends. It should be in belonging, finding yourself and helping you find others who feel the same just as you would music.

I think both of them are wonderful models and by doing what they're doing they break social norms but I respect them for promoting inner beauty and self love, something fashion could do with learning from.