" I see the variance between what clients supposedly advocate for vs. who they really need to play their stigma . I ’ve break down to countless cast for jobs that are look for ' variety ' but do not show that in any way , " Natalia Castellar Calvani pronounce .
The fashion industry’sdiversity problemhas been called out and openly discussed more in recent years. Strides have been made, but due to a decades-long history of focusing on Eurocentric beauty standards, many models from diverse backgrounds face unique challenges compared to their counterparts of European descent.
Here are 15 Latine models who opened up about their experiences and struggles in the fashion industry:
1.Valentine Alvarez toldWho What Wear, “I have people message me constantly about how seeing my face somewhere random inspired them to pursue modeling. I can actively see myself changing the industry. I remember being young and flipping through magazines, and the one thing that always stuck out to me was that no one looked like me. Nobody had a nose like mine or my skin tone. Nobody had piercings ortattoos, let alone traditional tattoos.”
They continued , " Now , we have people like Quannah [ Chasinghorse ] breathe in aboriginal the great unwashed all over the world by being thefirst . It ’s important to finger like you are a part of this world . It ’s operose to sense that way when you do n’t see yourself anywhere , and I ’m glad that I can be a part of this astonishing group of people who represent their place in this world . … I really hope that queer , Latinx , and Indigenous multitude see themselves in me . I go for that I am opening doors for the great unwashed or at least lease them know that these doors can open up for us too . I hope that people with cheek piercings and big scars and visible tattoos can see me and sleep with that they can be there too . They can ferment for Fenty . They can walk for fashion shows in Paris . Things that they think are impossible for them are possible . "
They also toldVogue , " I never grow up feel beautiful . I felt like I could never be a model . Growing up , [ fashion ] was very Europocentric . Everybody who was [ thought of as ] the image of dish did n’t expect like me — they did n’t have a bridge in their nose like I did , and they did n’t have brownish skin like I did . Being able to see other minorities flourish [ today ] , it gives you the courage to do it . Also , you really want to be that person for the great unwashed . "
2.Recalling the day of her 2021 Vogue cover shoot, Paloma Elsesser toldCNN, “I’m shooting a Vogue cover as a chubby, short, mixed-race woman who never imagined this would be her reality. … I’m not supposed to be here. I don’t look like anyone here. Who am I kidding? I’m not a fucking model.”
She also said , " I advocate for yield around my body and individuality . It ’s something that always come up because that ’s my realism . I ’m leaving pictures so maybe a girl hates herself a short act less . Does that make me a bloody savior ? No . "
3.OnInstagram, Joan Smalls wrote, “There have been so many times where I’ve had to face issues against my race within this industry because I was their token Black girl. The campaigns and editorials I had to share while my counterparts got to achieve that on their own. Or that my hair was an issue or that I made a show or campaign too ethnic, the list goes on and on.”
She bear on , " This industry that I have intercourse has profit from us but has never considered us equal . This . Stops . Now . It ’s time for the manner diligence to endure up and show their solidarity . clip for you all to give back to these biotic community and cultures which you draw so much inspiration from . "
4.Celeste Romero toldWho What Wear, “My first cover with Vogue México was released this past year, and they published an image of my side profile. Growing up, I was insecure about my nose because of bullying, and I never saw anyone on billboards or on covers that looked like me. Through modeling, I have grown to love and appreciate my features. I am proud to be an inspiration for young people to pursue modeling.”
She also said , " I hope my wallop is toward young people who look like me . [ I go for they ] see themselves when they see pictures or video recording of me and screw that they can be a role model , actor , or anything in the public optic as well . "
Additionally , she toldVogue , " I ’m Mexican and aboriginal , so I have a really masculine boldness and strong cheekbones . Growing up , I was always like , ' Why do I have this nose ? ' I wanted the perfect girlfriend ’s nose with the little swoop . But my great - grandmother always told me , ' You need to appreciate your facial features — they come from very powerful the great unwashed . ' … Every aspect of the clay sculpture humankind is changing so much , and I finger like I ’m starting right in the middle of it . walk for Gabriela Hearst was amazing to see , because she ’s so inclusive . The way she also hired Native people to make some of her clothing was amazing . "
5.When Ady Del Valle noticed that the Google Image search results for “plus-sized model” were overwhelmingly white, he decided to organize his own photo shoot with other plus-sized Latine models.
She toldTeen Vogue , " The way I contain my Latinidad in my piece of work and advocacy is always making sure that every opportunity or any work I ’m in high spot me as I am : gay , Puerto Rican , and Latino . I always keep in head my the great unwashed , and I want to verify I ’m symbolize us in a ignitor of representation not only as a Latino , but a positive - sizing Latino . Even in a recent beauty and fragrance campaign that I just shot as the only , and maybe the first , positive - size manful framework and Latino to be in a major beauty campaign , I get into a Latino - designed piece for it . I want to check that there ’s a piece of us being control as much as potential . "
Ady also toldDazed , " The dial has moved a piddling bite on the masculine side of positive - size delegacy , but the intersectionality is not there and there are lots of space where that agency can be overdraw . … It ’s frustrative , and it feel like I ’m the only one speaking up . manakin that are see as more acceptable because they ’re taller or more masculine are n’t affected , so they ’re not vocal about it and I sound like a bump record because I ’ve been repeating myself for the retiring six class . "
6.Sofía Jirau toldTatler, “The main challenge I faced [growing up] was finding out what to do once I graduated from high school. I wanted to work. Unfortunately, there weren’t any jobs for people like me with Down’s syndrome. Then, [Puerto Rican professional development firm] INprende gave me a job opportunity [as an experience ambassador] and I have worked for them ever since.”
She continue , " I have it off working for INprende , and I ’m grateful for the entire team because they have help me fulfill my dreams . People with Down ’s syndrome are just as capable of knead , hold down a business , and developing their own line of work as anyone else . "
7.Natalia Castellar Calvani toldSense of Self Magazine, “I see the discrepancies between what clients supposedly advocate for vs. who they actually want to represent their brand. I’ve gone to countless castings for jobs that are looking for ‘diversity’ but do not show that in any way.”
She continued , " I once expire to a molding where I could count the number of non - white model on one hand despite the hurtle call ’s abbreviated being amount ' diversity . ' It ’s very unfortunate how firebrand are quick to market one thing to the populace but do n’t even follow their own melodic theme . "
8.When Anyelina Rosa lived in the Domincan Republic, she faced anti-Black beauty standards. She relaxed her hair, and local designers rejected her. However, as her modeling career took off internationally, she embraced her natural hair and began wearing her hair in an Afro or in cornrows.
She told theNew York Times , " Now I have self - love . I do n’t say , ' I ca n’t , ' that I ’m slimy , that they wo n’t peck me . "
9.Karen Vega toldVogue, “The requirements that have been put in place in the fashion industry in Mexico have meant that only a very small group of Mexicans have been able to get into it. I believe that my agency [Talento Espina] will cause a big change in the city [Oaxaca] and other cities in the south of the country. Right now, most Mexican models are currently from the north.”
" We need more agency of Mexicans around the world — and also within Mexico as well as more mental representation of different types of women and man . Any task that represents my inheritance will always make me very happy , " she bestow .
10.Dilone told theCouncil of Fashion Designers of America, “Being Afro-Latina, being queer as fuck, and being a woman – I didn’t have that representation growing up. These last few years, I’ve come to accept myself: who I am, where I’m from and where I want to go while still being true to myself.”
She also suppose , " It ’s so important to celebrate [ Latine History Month ] because our parents work severely . Our ancestors pose the groundwork for us to be able to be here today so I can be as successful as I am as a fashion model . "
11.Kengie Smith toldTeen Vogue, “I notice there’s a lack of acknowledgment and representation for Afro-Latinos in the world. I look at myself in the mirror, and I know who I am, I see the color of my skin, the texture of my hair, my culture, and the language I speak.”
" I ’m a proud Afro - Latina fair sex living her pipe dream and walking in her determination , " she tell .
12.When Lineisy Montero made her runway debut in Prada’s autumn/winter show in 2015, she famously wore her natural hair in an Afro. The following year, she told theTelegraph, “I’ve noticed a little positive change. Before, in fashion shows, all the models were blonde with straight hair, but now there are always two or three morenas [women with darker complexions] with natural hair.”
" But there ’s still a slight way to go , " she added .
13.Devyn Garcia toldThe Fashionography, “I see the industry definitely evolving for all body types, but I feel it’s gonna take a while.”
She continued , " It ’s not going to happen overnight , and I think the way for it to really happen is to see the bigger brand incorporating unlike size into their lines . "
14.Denise Bidot toldEntertainment Tonight, “My whole life I felt like the Latino community was very, I guess, small-minded in the way that they saw beauty, but it wasn’t their fault. It was more of what we saw in the media, even in TV roles. You always saw the Latina girl, she always looked a certain way. For beauty pageants, they are huge in the Latino community and [many girls] unfortunately had to meet these really rigid standards of what beauty was, and because of that, we programmed an entire community and generation of women to think that is what they need to be to be beautiful. So when I was approached by Nuestra Belleza Latina to do this season, we had a lot of conversations before contracts or an offer was put on the table.”
She continued , " When they told me the general subject ' sinfulness talla , sin límites , sine excusas ' [ " no size , no limit and without excuses " ] , I was like , ' Oh my god , that is me in a nutshell ' because I really believe that . I do n’t recollect woman need to be special . We should put much more value into understanding and kindness , and we do n’t have many citizenry in that military position telling young girl that . So we have a responsibility to the next generation growing up . [ run across all different organic structure types on TV ] makes hoi polloi finger beautiful , it makes people palpate let in and constitute . And I consider when they commence telling me what they desire to do , it came from a actual seat of savvy that we need to evolve and grow and we can do it together in a beautiful agency . It was a no - brainer for me . I was like , ' Bring it on ! Let ’s do it . allow ’s change the world together ! ' "
15.And finally, Yaznil Baez toldTeen Vogue, “Within my work of modeling and social media influencing, I highlight that being Latinx is not something that can easily be confined to a box. There is not only one way to experience Latinidad. It is important to acknowledge how skin color, body shape, size, sexual orientation, gender — and the list goes on — also play within Latinidad.”
She continued , " My experience as a Dominican and Puerto Rican positive - size womanhood will differ from another person ’s ; but by keeping true to who I am in my workplace , I show how Latinx citizenry can be high way , we can be commercial-grade , we can do it all . "
Join BuzzFeed in celebratingLatine Heritage Monthfrom Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
“I see the discrepancies between what clients supposedly advocate for vs. who they actually want to represent their brand. I’ve gone to countless castings for jobs that are looking for ‘diversity’ but do not show that in any way,” Natalia Castellar Calvani said.
