14 Models Who Completely Destroyed Traditional Beauty Standards

Though beauty standards still prevail in people’s minds, the modern modeling world is on its way to understanding that a bright appearance isn’t just about a pretty face and a skinny body. Changing trends also have a great influence on ordinary girls: they learn to highlight their unique features and to not hate and blame themselves for their flaws.

Bright Side is really inspired by these successful models who’ve destroyed common beauty standards.

14. Thando Hopa

Besides modeling, this girl from Africa also works as a lawyer. Thando is an albino, and in Africa, that’s literally a curse. The thing is, bright African sun rays can cause cancer or blindness in people with albinism.

13. Anna Marinich

Anna has been suffering from alopecia, a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body, since childhood. Last year, her portraits were included in a photo project devoted to people with different features. This was Anna’s first professional photoshoot and it boosted her career.

12. Kate Grant

Kate became the first ever girl with Down syndrome to win an international beauty contest. The 19-year-model from Northern Ireland was chosen as the best in the “Teenager” category. Grant has been interested in fashion since she was 13, and her parents have always supported her ideas. They’ve even tried to arrange interviews with modeling agencies, but the agencies always refused. Her childhood dream has finally come true.

11. Tamy Glauser

According to the world of modeling, Tamy began her career too late — she was 27 years old. She takes part in both photoshoots and fashion shows. Thanks to her androgynous appearance, she has also taken part in photoshoots for men’s magazines like Numéro Homme and so on.

10. Slick Woods

In her childhood, Slick was an ugly duckling because of the wide gap between her front teeth and her short haircut. Today, she is a successful model and Rihanna really likes her. She saw Woods on Instagram. By the way, Kanye West was the one who recommended that the model create an Instagram profile.

9. Velvet D’amour

Velvet D’amour weighs 299 lbs, and that’s a record for the modeling world. She’s worked with Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, and Vogue.

8. April Star

April was 6 years old when she was diagnosed with vitiligo and this ruined her self-esteem. But her parents always supported her, and several years later, she was invited to take part in the American show The Real where this future model met Winnie Harlow who became her role model. Today, April takes part in different photoshoots for popular magazines and has a motivating Instagram.

7. Marian Avila

Marian is the first Spanish model with Down syndrome. She has always dreamed of taking part in New York Fashion Week and her dream came true: one of Talisha White’s models saw her post on Instagram, showed it Talisha, and she got in touch with her. Today, Avila works with Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

6. Tess McMillan

Initially, this girl from Texas wanted to be an actress (she studied at an acting school for 2 years.) But after a photoshoot for models.com, McMillan’s fate was determined. Now, Tess works with brands like JCPenney and Zalando, she also took part in a Marc Jacobs’ advertising campaign and had a photoshoot for British Vogue.

5. Issa Lish

Issa has an interesting origin: she’s half Japanese, half Mexican. She also has an inspiring Instagram profile that makes you believe you’re friends with this unusual model.

4. Alice Wilson

Wilson’s face is covered with freckles. But this is not her only feature: she has brown eyes, but likes to wear one blue contact lens to show that beauty is all about imperfection.

3. Jazelle Zanotti

Jazelle loves bright makeup. Her friendship with Die Antwoord is probably one of the reasons she looks so unusual.

2. Serafima Solovyova

Serafima is sure that femininity isn’t at all about the hair.

1. Sophia Hadjipanteli

This model from Greece paints her eyebrows black to highlight them. She used to take part in photoshoots where she was Frida Kahlo. As we all know, Frida also had really distinct eyebrows.

Whose appearance inspires you the most?