10 Women in Fashion Who Are Leaving Their Mark in the Industry

Fashion has always been very attached to perfect beauty, a beauty that has absolutely no blemishes. However, as years go by, people inside and outside of the fashion industry are starting to look for diversity. A model’s weight, facial features and body disadvantages are no longer judged so harshly. That’s how these 10 models have managed to become stars and inspire millions of people worldwide.

1. Lyn Slater

The 69-year-old college professor became an “accidental icon” a few years ago when she decided to pursue her interest in fashion by creating a blog. Some photographers mistook her as part of New York Fashion Week, and Slater quickly became famous. She was signed with Elite models, appeared on the cover of famous magazines, and walked on a few runways too, all while in her sixties. “I am just an ordinary person who reinvented myself at age 61,” is how the model describes herself.

2. Lauren Wasser

Lauren Wasser was 24 years old when both of her legs were affected by toxic shock syndrome and had to be amputated. Wasser grew up with 2 model parents, and up until her illness, she had also been following in their footsteps. After a period of depression and trying to come to terms with her new body, the model decided that she’d continue her career and try to make it more inclusive. Since then, Wasser has walked countless catwalks with her golden prosthetic legs.

3. Ashley Graham

Ashley Graham is one of the most famous curvaceous top models and an ultimate inspiration for many women. She has paved the way for many plus-size models in the industry and she is a passionate body positivity activist.

“When it comes to photoshop and filters, Facetune and the high-end Photoshop, I think that it is so hurtful and that it’s creating a bigger problem than we’re even aware of right now. Give it a few more years, even 10 years more, and we’re going to be seeing the real effects of it, because people think that they are not pretty enough and they’re not good enough,” Graham said.

4. Shahad Salman

Inspired by the success of Winnie Harlow, another supermodel with vitiligo, the 25-year-old Shahad Salman started pursuing a career in the same field a few years ago. “Challenging stereotypes is very important,” Salman said about her role in the industry, “and having self-confidence too. That’s one of my strongest features. Knowing that I can be a source of inspiration for people has helped me a lot.”

5. Jillian Mercado

Jillian Mercado suffers from muscular dystrophy and is a wheelchair user, but her conditions never stopped her from pursuing her career goals and fighting for representation. After appearing on the cover of several fashion magazines and using her social media presence to spread awareness about disabilities, Mercado also made her runway debut at New York Fashion Week.

6. Paloma Elsesser

Paloma Elsesser was discovered on Instagram by a makeup artist Pat McGrath. Pat was looking for unique faces and then she found Paloma. Throughout her career, Elsesser has worked with Nike, Fenty Beauty, Proenza Schouler, and Mercedes-Benz. She also appeared in many fashion magazines, including American Vogue, Teen Vogue, Elle, and Glamour.

The model hopes to pave the way for more girls in the industry and promotes diversity in the world of fashion. And she has already become an inspiration for many!

7. Melanie Gaydos

Melanie Gaydos, 32, was born on the east coast but currently lives in Seattle. She was born with ectodermal dysplasia, a collective term for several extremely rare genetic conditions affecting skin, hair, and nail growth. She was severely criticized for her appearance when she was younger, but it didn’t stop her from becoming a well-known model and getting a lot of different jobs.

Gaydos began modeling while attending the Pratt Institute in New York City. She received even more attention after appearing in a Rammstein music video, and offers continued to pour in after that. Her distinctive features are ideal for high fashion and more avant-garde styles. She has, however, rejected being boxed in as an alternative model and has participated in numerous New York Fashion Week runway events.

8. Kelly Knox

Whenever Kelly Knox walks down any catwalk, she inspires more than one person with her beauty. This British model became one of the first disabled models to star in Fashion Week. But her path to the catwalk was not easy, and it took her 11 years of battling prejudice to be where she is now. She was born without her left forearm and decided not to wear a prosthetic arm as an aid.

For models like Kelly Knox who have the courage to follow their dreams, brands like Tommy Hilfiger are changing the fashion game. Many brands are creating lines of adaptable clothing with one-hand zippers and magnetic buttons. This is increasing fashion designers’ commitment to diversity and inclusion.

9. Candice Huffine

Candice Huffine took part in numerous New York Fashion Weeks and worked with prominent designers, including Prabal Gurung and Christian Siriano. The model confessed that shooting for Vogue Italia was a pivotal moment in her career. “That will go down in history for me as a really major moment in my life,” said Candice.

“People were looking at me in a different way. Curvy girls didn’t have the opportunity to do editorial work that much. We were catalogue girls, online, e-commerce. You didn’t really see us in an edgy, high-fashion way. That really changed the game,” added the model.

10. Coral Kwayie

The 26-year-old Coral from Great Britain doesn’t feel shy about the freckles that cover her entire face. The girl hardly ever uses makeup and bravely demonstrates her natural beauty.