THESE are 10 of the most unusual models in the world, who are proudly challenging conventional beauty standards. Individuals like 3ft 4" inch Drew, to Lucy whose rare skin condition helped her win a place amongst the pages of Vogue magazine and Neli whose body was forever altered after a life changing car accident, are just some of the amazing people in this episode who hope to show the world that you don’t have to fit the mold to be beautiful.
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00:00These are some of the most unusual models in the world.
00:04Our differences make us beautiful.
00:06Who are proudly challenging conventional beauty standards.
00:09There's many, many brands that just like the generic beautiful looking people and I don't look like that, I look different.
00:17Hoping to show the world that you don't have to fit the mould to be beautiful.
00:22I used to dream about being a model all my life and we'd get people saying,
00:26you can't be a model because you look like this.
00:29Starting with 3 foot 4 inch model Drew.
00:32Despite not having the height of a runway model, she has a specific message she wants to get out there.
00:38I decided I wanted to be a model about a year ago.
00:42It is a little difficult for people to see that sexy does not have a size.
00:51So the look I'm kind of looking for today is just, I'm doing street wear so I kind of want something edgy.
00:56I love braids, braids always look really, really nice in my hair.
01:00Something natural for the beach, you know, just something flowy, something cute.
01:07We're done, look how cute. Is it good? Yeah?
01:21Awesome, look at my eyebrows.
01:24Oh my God, thank you. It looks so good.
01:28The hardest learning curve of becoming a model is honestly being completely vulnerable to the camera and to the photographer as well.
01:38I had to discover my curves, I had to learn how to work with it.
01:41I mean, a lot of little people, we got big butts, so we got to learn how to make it work.
01:45We have either big foreheads, we have different size limbs, we have so many different complications.
01:50But as long as you see yourself as who you are, that's sexy, that's it.
01:55How do you look, amazing? I got it, do you want to see? Yes.
02:00I love that one, oh my God, that one looks so good.
02:04You literally captured it. I love it.
02:09Growing up with dwarfism is probably the most challenging thing anyone can do in their life.
02:14In my family, I'm the only dwarf in all of history with my family line.
02:18So they were kind of learning as I was learning through my life.
02:22They did the best they could and they did a really good job.
02:25My hometown is complete opposite of Los Angeles.
02:29Reno, Nevada is very small, so it's very small in diversity, even just as in ideas or dreams that you would like to have.
02:36They teased and they made hurtful names.
02:39It was hard growing up as a kid trying to understand why everybody was so mean to you.
02:42I do have a lot of anxiety. I mean, I am small.
02:45So I do have to watch out 24-7 of people around me, make sure I'm not stepped on, pushed, hit, or even just taken in general.
02:53I left my hometown two weeks after graduating high school.
02:57I decided to go to the Art Institute here in Los Angeles, California.
03:01And they had the summer programs and I wanted to get a head start on my career.
03:06I wanted to do fashion marketing, which I'm graduating with my bachelor's very soon this year.
03:10I don't want anybody else to feel like they cannot express themselves like the way I did back home.
03:15With that in mind, Drew set out to show others the beauty in being little.
03:19Find the place okay? Of course. Awesome.
03:22That's my friend Dylan. She did my hair and makeup. Thank God.
03:25Awesome. You look gorgeous. Thank you. Thank you.
03:28Okay, so this is kind of like a streetwear type look.
03:31I'm going to be kind of edgy, but I want some like really cool backgrounds in the back.
03:35So like some cool paintings, flowers.
03:37You mentioned flowers. I'm already set up for right here. Perfect.
03:40You literally are speaking my mind, so that's even better.
03:43So you have everything set up? Yeah. Perfect.
03:47So when you're ready, let's start.
03:49Modeling has boosted my confidence a ton.
03:53I feel a lot sexier in front of the camera.
03:55It's a different Drew that likes to be exposed.
03:58Honestly, there's no other words. I love being in front of the camera.
04:07You did so good. Awesome.
04:09My photos with Drew I hope will get the message to people that
04:13it doesn't matter who you are or what size you are to be what you want to be.
04:18Drew is, maybe she may be shorter than, you know, your average person, me.
04:23But it doesn't change from her, her ambition to be a model.
04:29Max and Milton! Hi honey!
04:32How are you? Good. How pretty.
04:36I wanted you here. You were my first photographer ever.
04:40I'm always there.
04:42I love fashion. You get to wear whatever you want and no one cares.
04:47I love being able to have something that fits.
04:49I look cute, I look sexy, and I'm going out.
04:51And I'm going to have everybody notice me, not just for my size,
04:54but because of how I dress and how confident I am in my clothing.
04:57Does the dress look good? Should I let it go?
05:01With me being a model, I do receive a lot of comments and hurtful things
05:05on Instagram, Facebook.
05:07I do not like the M word, which is the exact same as you would think of it as the N word.
05:12So, if anything, please, I'm just a little person at most,
05:15and I'm honestly just a human being.
05:17You call me Drew. That's it.
05:19I don't need to be expressed in any other word or any other way.
05:22I'm Drew.
05:23I probably would honestly prefer to still be a little person versus average.
05:29I definitely see things that a lot of people miss or don't perceive in a certain way.
05:34It's definitely made me into who I am today,
05:36and I could never be more prouder than who I am.
05:38Drew is an amazing model.
05:40The camera loves her.
05:42I have so much fun shooting with her.
05:45She knows how to work the camera.
05:48She knows every angle.
05:50Her signature.
05:52She's just amazing and so much fun to work with.
05:55I have great friends.
05:56I have great friends.
05:57I have great support that I probably wouldn't be here without them.
06:00Give me that shoulder.
06:02Teamwork makes the dream work.
06:04You guys don't even know how serious that is.
06:06I would not be here without my support, my hair and makeup artist,
06:10my photographers, friends, family, all of it.
06:13I would not be here without them.
06:15I just want to be respected.
06:17I want to be accepted, and I want to make something beautiful for the world,
06:21whether it be clothing or just me being myself.
06:24I want everybody in the fashion world just to be accepted.
06:27I want anybody to be able to walk that runway just like anybody else.
06:31If anyone's having trouble embracing their sexiness, just be yourself.
06:35Being yourself is completely sexy.
06:36Having a smile is completely sexy.
06:38Confidence in yourself is completely sexy.
06:41Nobody wants anybody that's scared to be themselves.
06:43So just express yourself.
06:45Don't be ashamed.
06:46Don't be afraid.
06:47And F all the haters if they don't like it.
06:49It's you.
06:50It's your only life.
06:5526-year-old model Sarah has had to learn not to listen to the haters
06:59and instead embrace her rare condition that's caused her skin to sag prematurely.
07:05Ehlers-Danlos is a connective tissue disorder.
07:09It is a defect in our collagen makeup.
07:12So collagen is the most abundant protein in our body.
07:18So it is in our skin.
07:20It causes it to stretch and come back to its original form
07:24without any type of damage or anything like that.
07:29It also is surrounding our internal intestines.
07:33And it affects like the walls around our cardiovascular system.
07:37And my type specifically would be classical.
07:41And I also have the dermatoporaxis type, which is the more rare type.
07:46Sarah's type of Ehlers-Danlos causes her skin to become soft and fragile,
07:51which has led to it sagging across her entire body.
07:55In high school, I just tried to cover it up.
07:57I didn't want anyone to ask me questions about it.
08:00I didn't want to talk about it.
08:02I'd say my biggest insecurity would have been my skin.
08:05You know, from being out in public and wearing tank tops and dresses and shorts.
08:10As I got older, it just kind of started to get worse.
08:13You know, I wasn't living back then.
08:15I was basically living a lie because I wasn't being truly who I was.
08:19It wasn't about until the age of 22, 23,
08:22that I started to look at myself and my body in a completely different way.
08:26Just the uniqueness and the rarity and the way the lines form
08:30and just the art that is made from just the patterns that are there.
08:34It's amazing.
08:35It makes me so sad that I looked at it as just this ugly thing at one point in time.
08:39Now proud of her skin, Sarah has been showing it off with her work as a model.
08:44The Love Your Lines campaign was my first campaign that I had.
08:48It is a campaign that praises women's imperfections,
08:52from scars to stretch marks.
08:55They had published my story, which had received over 25,000 likes.
09:00And so that really right there was a pivotal moment for me
09:04And so that really right there was a pivotal moment for me
09:08because it clicked.
09:10It was like I could do something with this.
09:12Like, oh my gosh.
09:14She's come so far in the last couple of years.
09:17It's just been crazy how much things have changed.
09:20She's really come out of her shell and she's done so many things
09:24and so many opportunities have come from her modeling.
09:27And she's just so amazing. I'm so proud of her.
09:31I don't really see the disability or disorder in Sarah.
09:34I think she's just beautiful the way she is.
09:39So my main aspirations for modeling would be to break society's standards
09:45and the mentality that they have for perfection
09:48and to really show that it is your imperfections and your uniqueness
09:53that is the true beauty, and that's what needs to be celebrated.
09:58Personally, I hope that by getting out there with modeling
10:02I am able to almost be the face of Ehlers-Danlos
10:07and raise awareness as it is one of the most undiagnosed disorders out there as of now.
10:18I think it would be awesome if someone like Sarah was in the modeling world
10:21because they need someone like her.
10:23She's strong and she's unique and she's very inspiring to others.
10:28I would say to anyone living with Ehlers-Danlos out there who was struggling
10:33that the support groups out there are amazing.
10:36You can always reach out to me no matter what, for sure.
10:39I will try my hardest to respond to you as quick as possible.
10:42You are beautiful and you can achieve whatever you want
10:47and whatever your dream is, no matter what.
10:50Leo also has a rare skin condition that causes him to look different.
10:56Gold hair, cream skin, that's why they call me Mr. Hershey's cookies and cream.
11:02Albinism is a recessive condition, so you can only have it if both parents are carriers
11:08or have albinism, and then there's a 25% chance that your child will have the condition.
11:15It's basically just an absence of pigment.
11:18See, I've got like, I don't class it as blonde hair, this is gold.
11:22The 22-year-old has albinism, a condition which affects the production of melanin in the body.
11:28This results in less or no pigment in the body's skin, hair and eyes.
11:32I think when I was younger, I used to say, oh, I wish I didn't have it,
11:37just because it would have made a lot of things easier when I was growing up if I didn't have albinism.
11:41Yeah, that's me. I used to love fire engines.
11:43I couldn't just walk to the shop without literally getting into a fight.
11:48Yeah, on every single day, I would get into a fight.
11:51We were the first black family on my street, and then on top of that, three of us had albinism.
11:59Leo's brother and sister were also born with albinism.
12:02My dad just gave me this photo album of a lot of the newspapers we used to be in back in the day.
12:11I didn't even know you had this.
12:13Yeah, we were in a lot of magazines and a lot of shows back in the day.
12:18These names are rude.
12:21I understand it, because I guess that's what it looks like in a sense,
12:26but it's just an ignorant way of putting things, because we aren't white.
12:34My first son was born in 1993.
12:38My first son was born in 1992.
12:41So then it was like one in five million.
12:44So it's very, very rare to have a child with albinism.
12:49So I was told I couldn't have more, but I did.
12:53I was so isolated because nobody around me knows what to do.
12:59So it's very challenging for us as parents that we have these children
13:04and nobody knows what to do to help them.
13:07You know, there's all kinds of things that people say that are cruel.
13:12But you know, you just need to shrug it off and move on,
13:18because if you don't, you get yourself into a depression.
13:22I know they picked on him because of his albinism,
13:25because knowing that we are black and his wife, children are very cruel.
13:29It really is organized chaos, that's what it is.
13:32You know what's so funny?
13:33They used to say, why are you trying to be black?
13:36And then they would say, why are you trying to be white?
13:40Sometimes it's a bit annoying because you just can't be invisible.
13:43Like, there's no way you can go and just walk without someone looking at you
13:47or staring at you.
13:48But at the same time, it's nice.
13:52Like, you can't be invisible.
13:55Growing up with such unique looks, it wasn't long before Leo was born.
14:01I think I was always confident growing up because of my parents,
14:07especially my mum.
14:09Yeah, that's really good.
14:14Yeah, exactly.
14:16Can you do a couple where you are kind of maybe straightening your...
14:19Yeah, exactly, that kind of stuff.
14:21In the modelling industry, people want to see more different people in the industry.
14:26But also, there's many, many, many, many, many brands
14:31that just like the generic, beautiful-looking people,
14:35and I don't look like that.
14:37I look different.
14:39So it's always going to be holding you back as well as pushing you forward.
14:43Through his work as a model, Leo has become a source of support
14:47for other people with albinism.
14:49Hello, hello.
14:50Hey, how you doing, man?
14:53What's been going on?
14:54Yeah.
14:55They ask a lot of questions at school.
14:57Ask, why you...
14:59Why you white?
15:01If you're already getting 100%, then you can't get 200%.
15:04As long as you're getting 100%, then that's fine.
15:06I put your 100% into it.
15:08You're getting 100%?
15:10Uh...
15:12Yeah.
15:13You're getting 100%?
15:14Yeah.
15:15You're getting 100%?
15:16Yeah.
15:17You're getting 100%?
15:19Yeah.
15:21Uh...
15:23Nearly.
15:24There we go.
15:25Uh...
15:2680, 89%.
15:29Oh, that's very good.
15:30So, they...
15:32At times, they don't want to play with him.
15:34They said, um, we don't want to play with you.
15:36So it's been very challenging for us.
15:39There was one time I never...
15:41I never talked to anyone.
15:43Yeah, that's how I got bronze.
15:47Never talked to anyone?
15:48Yeah.
15:49You mean when the teacher's talking?
15:52No, the whole day.
15:54You didn't talk to anyone the whole day?
15:56Yeah.
15:57It does change the relations with my tail.
16:01If you want to do this, you just have to let it grow out
16:03and keep combing it.
16:05Then I have to not cut my hair for a year.
16:08Oh, OK.
16:12He is just a normal child.
16:14He just needs a little bit of accommodation.
16:18Because I've actually gone through it myself,
16:20I know exactly what someone would need.
16:22I need a chair.
16:23I feel like it's my mission, it's my purpose
16:26to make sure other people know this
16:28and just help as many people as I can.
16:33I just want them to know that they're beautiful
16:36through and through, that's it.
16:38And they are different, but just embrace it.
16:44Thank you so much.
16:46Any time.
16:47Any time, you really know.
16:49Yeah, thank you so much.
16:51I've been a pillar of support.
16:53Thank you so much.
16:54Of course, any time.
16:55Thank you to Uncle Leo.
16:56Bye.
16:57Bye.
16:58Yeah.
16:59I just want to make sure that any child with albinism
17:02or adult or anyone with it
17:04just knows that it's OK and that they're beautiful.
17:08And I want to reach as many people as I can with that message.
17:12Just as Leo's rare condition led him to becoming a model,
17:15the same is the case for our next story.
17:18There is no cure for EB and EB is fatal.
17:22Hey.
17:23How are you?
17:24I've been asked a lot if I feel like I'm on borrowed time.
17:28But I don't because my time is my own.
17:31I'm going to use it to the best of my capabilities.
17:35This week I have a shoot with Vogue Italia.
17:39I never would have thought in a million years
17:41that my ugly legs could get me into Vogue.
17:4521-year-old Lucy has a rare condition
17:47called recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa,
17:50also known as EB.
17:53EB is a family of genetic skin conditions.
17:56It is caused by a lack of collagen VII,
17:58which is the anchoring fibril that connects
18:00your bottom layer skin to your top layer skin.
18:04EB affects every surface of my body,
18:07including interior surfaces.
18:11This includes my skin,
18:16my throat,
18:19my eyes,
18:22and every internal organ as well.
18:28There is no cure for EB and EB is fatal.
18:33I've been asked a lot if I feel like I'm on borrowed time.
18:37You can't sit around and worry about when you're meant to die
18:41because it's just, it's useless.
18:43It'll ruin your day.
18:47I don't have just one book about Middle English literature,
18:50or two.
18:52I have four.
18:55There are a lot of everyday things that could damage my skin
18:57that most people might not think of.
18:59Friction is really bad for my skin.
19:01So if there were to be any excess friction applied,
19:04if there were to be any excess friction applied to my body,
19:07that would also shear off my skin.
19:09Jamie, what art class, which module are you in this semester?
19:13Michelangelo.
19:14I'm really excited for it.
19:16I'm in da Vinci.
19:17Things like stubbing my toe, opening a jar, opening a bottle,
19:20brushing my teeth, taking a shower,
19:23even just getting out of bed in the wrong way.
19:26Over time, scar tissue doesn't stretch, it contracts.
19:29So that meant that the scar tissue on my hands
19:31was pulling my fingers into my palm in a process called mittening.
19:35If left alone, that meant I could lose my fingers and my thumb completely.
19:40So last summer, I had a release surgery.
19:43They released my right hand and all of my fingers and my thumb
19:46from this restrictive scar tissue,
19:49thereby giving me the range of motion in my hand back.
19:52This is my splint that I have to wear every day, every night.
19:56It is important to make sure that my fingers
19:59don't go back into a curved shape.
20:01There was a point where I felt like my scarring defined me
20:04because it was the first thing people would see of me.
20:09No one wakes up every day just loving themselves.
20:14It's always a process for everyone,
20:16especially if you have a visible condition that makes you look different.
20:22But I don't let this stop me from doing things I like.
20:26I could see my scars as something negative, as something to fight against,
20:30or I could see it as proof of my own survival.
20:35I can't make outfits, that's why I wear dresses.
20:37Of course, one of the first things I saw about Lucy were her scars.
20:41It's inevitable.
20:42It's inevitable, but I saw past that so quickly.
20:46She was just so open with herself and her personality and everything.
20:50My lasting impression of Lucy wasn't someone who is defined by her scars.
20:55It was someone who didn't let her scars define her.
21:00I saw how people reacted to me and I wanted to change that.
21:05So last year was a really big year for me.
21:07I gave my first TEDx talk for my university in April.
21:11I was able to attend a conference in Italy for rare skin conditions and talk about EB.
21:17This week I have a shoot with Fantabody in collaboration with Vogue Italia
21:22for their campaign called I Am the Woman I Am.
21:25Are you nervous for it?
21:26I'm a little bit nervous just because of the names attached to it.
21:30I mean, Vogue is something you couldn't even dream of.
21:36I'll be nervous when I'm on the train to London, for sure.
21:48I really just can't believe that I'm able to experience this opportunity.
21:53I never would have thought that my so-called ugly legs could get me into Vogue.
22:02Hi Gwen!
22:03Hey!
22:04It's so nice to meet you!
22:05Nice to meet you too!
22:06Finally!
22:07How are you?
22:08Good.
22:09So we are shooting this story for Fantabody, which is an Italian brand
22:14who always pick those amazing women to be photographed and interviewed.
22:20I'm so excited.
22:21I can't wait.
22:22So we have this, which is really cool.
22:26It's a mesh shirt.
22:27And we also have a really sparkly bodysuit, which will be amazing.
22:33What did you think whenever you saw my skin condition
22:37and that you'd be working with someone with EB?
22:39It's not the first time, actually.
22:41Oh, wow!
22:43It kind of validates what I'm doing.
22:46Like, I'm doing the right thing.
22:47I know I'm doing the right thing.
22:51I didn't want to be told I wouldn't find love or happiness or a successful career
22:56due to my scarring.
22:57I never thought whenever I first started posting pictures
23:00and talking about living with EB that it would get such attention
23:04and that people would actually care.
23:07We can become our own role models.
23:09So that's what I'm trying to do for myself.
23:13I want people to know that, like, visible disabilities and sexuality
23:17are not two things that can never interact.
23:20I want other people to recognize that there's nothing wrong with my body.
23:23Let's start like this.
23:32Because, you know, growing up, we're told that people with disabilities,
23:35especially once they're visible, aren't attractive.
23:37And love is meant for someone else whose body doesn't look like mine.
23:42But I disagree.
23:50I'm happy to live in a time where we're starting to embrace our differences.
23:57Modelling has also been helping Brooks to embrace his appearance.
24:00I do kind of like that my hair is kind of, like, wispy
24:06and to the touch, it's kind of like...
24:10People always say it's either like a cloud or it's basically like baby hair.
24:15It really is like the consistency of baby hair,
24:18but it's just very, very light blonde.
24:22The 22-year-old was born with a genetic disorder
24:25affecting only one in 100,000 babies.
24:28I was born with ectodermal dysplasia.
24:31It affects my hair.
24:33I have very little on my body.
24:36It affects my teeth.
24:38I'm missing a number of teeth.
24:43The biggest way that it affects me, I would say,
24:45is I have no sweat glands in my body.
24:49So I'm prone to be getting overheated
24:53because I don't have any sweat to regulate my body temperature.
24:57Pretty much from the moment that I had consciousness,
25:01you know, I had already been diagnosed,
25:03I think, when I was just a few months old.
25:06I think just being aware that when you're growing up,
25:10that, you know, your teeth are different, your hair is different,
25:13you know, I think, to me,
25:15even though I had a very lucky experience,
25:18I didn't really face, truthfully, much bullying,
25:21and I've always been very grateful for that.
25:24But I still think that almost the hardest part
25:27of growing up with it was what I kind of imposed on myself,
25:31you know, feeling different than other people
25:34or feeling kind of like an alien compared to other kids.
25:45I had a lot of questions.
25:47Are you albino?
25:49Do you have cancer?
25:52And I think the cancer one
25:54is one that always has gotten to me a bit.
25:57Even now, when I get asked a question like that,
26:00if I'm out in public or something,
26:02I think it is a bit traumatizing.
26:05I wish I was better with it.
26:08I think my...
26:10I still freeze up, I think.
26:17When I was younger, I had no clue
26:20that muddling was something that was possible
26:23for somebody like me.
26:25I remember I even have a memory
26:27when I was probably 13 or something
26:30and really falling in love with music
26:33and wanting to be a musician.
26:36And I just remember thinking,
26:39it's a nice dream, but I can never be that
26:42because then I have to be in front of the camera
26:45to do a music video or something.
26:47And I just always remember thinking,
26:49because of what I looked like,
26:51I could never do anything visually.
26:54And now incidentally,
26:56I feel like most of my good-paying jobs
26:59are being in others' music videos.
27:01And to me, it's surreal every time.
27:05A friend of mine who I'd always looked up to
27:09was having amazing style,
27:11and he said, have you ever considered
27:14the idea of high fashion muddling?
27:16And this is just about 2 years ago now.
27:19That was the first kind of glimpse of an idea
27:22that this is something that would be possible.
27:25And I was like, okay, I'm going to do this.
27:28I'm going to do this.
27:30I'm going to do this.
27:32I'm going to do this.
27:34I'm going to do this.
27:36I'm going to do this.
27:39And now it's all just kind of snowballed
27:42to meeting someone who ended up scouting me now
27:46for my agency,
27:49and now there's a worldwide representation,
27:52which to me kind of blows my mind
27:55when I think about that.
27:57Hi, how are you?
27:59So I kind of have to stuff this, grab it.
28:03I mean it's cool, it's going to be cropped.
28:07But I don't mind it if we go here too.
28:11To show this.
28:14Do we want to do Wesley's leather look?
28:16Let's try this one too.
28:22I'm going to make sure that it sits here and all that.
28:25Did you see it in the mirror?
28:30I mean I think I'm often overwhelmed with
28:35in the short time that I've been doing this
28:37with messages of support.
28:39There's been some kids that will message me
28:42with ectodermal dysplasia too
28:44and say I've never met anyone in my life that has this.
28:48So thank you for doing this, thank you for being a voice.
28:52On the flip side of that, there's often messages as well
28:58that are very negative, kind of little comments
29:03that do stick in the back of my head.
29:07Why are ugly people fashion models now?
29:10Why do all you people think this is beautiful
29:14when this is clearly just some weird thing?
29:18A lot of people, clearly it's just ignorance.
29:21Clearly people that have a very set idea of what beauty is.
29:25But to me I've always just been confused
29:28about why anyone ever feels the need to spread hate
29:31about anything.
29:43I would say modeling has completely changed
29:47the way that I view my own appearance.
29:51I've been able to find some kind of worth in myself
29:55that I've never seen before.
29:57I hated having photos taken of me.
30:00I hated looking in mirrors.
30:03I just don't think I wanted to kind of face
30:06the condition that I was born with
30:08because to me it felt undesirable.
30:11It felt like something was wrong with me.
30:13I think now I'm so grateful that I was born this way
30:17because I don't think any of this would be possible otherwise.
30:22Like Brooks, Carmen also believes that her differences
30:25are what make her beautiful.
30:27So, are you excited for my lingerie shoot today?
30:32I'm always excited for your shoots.
30:35I haven't even tried on what I'm modeling yet.
30:38No?
30:39No.
30:40Are you going to try it on before the shoot?
30:42Nope, you're going to have to wait to see it
30:44just like everyone else.
30:46Oh, a nice surprise.
30:48My mom tells me that I was about three
30:50when she noticed that something was going on.
30:53I was complaining a lot that my feet hurt.
30:58She took me to the doctor
31:00and they diagnosed me with lymphedema
31:03stating that most likely I was born without some of my lymph nodes.
31:07Lymphedema is a chronic condition
31:09causing swelling in the body's tissue
31:11due to the lymphatic system not working properly.
31:14Your lymph nodes and your lymphatic system
31:16are supposed to be moving fluids through your body.
31:19So, in my case, the blockage is in my legs.
31:23So, that's why there's swelling and discomfort.
31:28So, today we're getting ready to do a photo shoot
31:31and we really wanted to focus on body positivity
31:35so we're doing lingerie.
31:37This one's a little risque,
31:39but we're going for it today.
31:41Pushing our boundaries.
31:45I always tell my followers on Instagram
31:48to embrace our bodies at every step of our journey.
31:54All right, so I'm going to show you
31:56a couple pictures, though, from growing up.
31:59As I've gotten older, my lymphedema has progressed.
32:03I do remember, you know,
32:05they would look at my feet or say something about them
32:08and it would just make me, like, horrified
32:11and so uncomfortable and embarrassed.
32:13To this day, honestly,
32:15I don't like people looking at my feet.
32:18This was, like, classic pose
32:20because I always was trying to hide my right foot
32:22because my right foot was always bigger,
32:24always more swollen,
32:26and only wear flip-flops
32:28because those are the only dang shoes
32:30that would fit my chubby feet.
32:32I would get weird comments from guys
32:34or they would ask my friends, like,
32:36hey, what's wrong with her legs?
32:38The turning point for me was telling myself
32:40I have to start being in a more positive mental space
32:43and, you know, saying I'm not going to be defined
32:45by what somebody else has to say about my body.
32:48Getting ready for the photo shoot.
32:51She was walking by,
32:53and the first thing I noticed
32:55was her stature
32:59as she walked by, and I thought,
33:02oh, wow.
33:04Um, wow.
33:06All I could say was, wow.
33:08Uh-oh.
33:10It looked good.
33:12That was my first impression of Carmen,
33:14the first time I saw her.
33:17The way my boyfriend makes me feel about my body
33:20is something, honestly,
33:23that I wish every woman could experience.
33:26A partner who empowers you
33:30and encourages you to love your body
33:33the way they see it,
33:35it will change the way that you see yourself.
33:39And for me, he was and has been
33:42a huge part of me being able to do what I do.
33:47All right.
33:49I think we're ready.
33:51With her makeup done, it's time for Carmen
33:53to head to her lingerie photo shoot.
33:56Hi.
33:58How are you? You look good.
34:00Thank you. I'm ready.
34:02You look fresh and... I'm very excited.
34:04Lingerie normally isn't shot right here.
34:06Right.
34:07But you are a warrior.
34:09I have this concept to include some signage,
34:12so this is the hashtag that I use all the time.
34:16A lot of people will find me using this.
34:20Positive reactions on Instagram
34:23make me know that I'm doing what I'm supposed to do.
34:27100%.
34:29I was thinking just black pumps.
34:32Or do you want blue?
34:34I don't want any shoes.
34:36What? Fine.
34:38Whatever you say. I love it.
34:40The women who are in my inbox saying,
34:42hey, my legs look like yours.
34:44I've never seen anybody whose body looks like mine.
34:47You know, thank you for putting yourself out there.
34:50You're making me feel comfortable.
34:52That stuff is big, you know?
34:54I do feel that this photo shoot is different for me
34:58because it's completely focused on my lymphedema and my legs.
35:02Okay, so I'm going to get changed then.
35:04All right.
35:06I'm going to get my camera together.
35:08I'm ready.
35:10All right, cool.
35:12I like the shoes.
35:15I do, I think it's cool, it's fluffy.
35:18Are we ready for the derobing?
35:21Yes.
35:23All right, and go.
35:27Beautiful.
35:291, 2, 3.
35:33I describe my self-image now as, you know, I just love myself.
35:41And I can say that 99% of the time.
35:44You know, I'm only human, so of course I have my bad days.
35:48Cross the legs.
35:51Maybe not.
35:53Let's just not cross the legs.
35:55All right, cool.
35:57I can't cross the legs and fall back.
35:59It's fine, it's fine.
36:01Okay, ready for look 2.
36:03I feel like a princess whenever I wear this.
36:06Nobody's perfect, but if, you know, 9 times out of 10,
36:10I can wake up and say, you're doing a good job,
36:14you're taking care of your body,
36:16you like what you see when you look in the mirror,
36:19then I think, you know, if we could all do that,
36:22honestly, this world would be a whole lot more positive than it is now.
36:27Unlike the others, Nelly's difference isn't the result of a medical condition,
36:31but rather a life-changing incident.
36:34The dolphin accident was on Friday.
36:36I was at work, and we usually have bail clock every Friday
36:40where everyone is just happy, laptops down, no one is working.
36:45And it was something fun to celebrate that day
36:48because I received good news the day before
36:52that I actually got a job offer in California.
36:56It was me, Gonzo, my friend, and some other two of my friends.
37:02We stayed over up until 11 o'clock at night,
37:05which is something that we've never done before.
37:08After that, we decided to take the party home.
37:13And on our way, Gonzo was driving.
37:16I looked at him, and I could see that he was falling asleep.
37:25I touched him because I panicked, I said, Gonzo.
37:28And then he woke up, and it was too late
37:32because by then I could see the wall, and we just crashed there.
37:37At just 23 years old, Nelly was involved in a tragic car accident.
37:42Gonzo, her friend who was driving the car, died.
37:45And Nelly was left with life-threatening internal bleeding.
37:52I remembered waking up after three weeks in ICU,
37:56and when I looked at myself, my stomach was covered in plastic.
38:02They took the skin from my thigh so that they can put it on my tummy
38:07because my tummy was left open for a month,
38:10so it needed to be covered with something.
38:13Before the accident, Nelly had started modelling,
38:16and so the scars she got as a result of the accident
38:19hugely affected the way she saw herself.
38:22I had a colostomy back for ten months,
38:25and it was a very painful procedure.
38:28I had a colostomy back for ten months, and it was not an easy journey.
38:34This is where the colostomy operation was performed.
38:39Most of the time I was indoors.
38:41It was when I started going outside and being exposed to the public,
38:47and people started asking questions.
38:50Why do you have a tummy like that, and what is that thing on your tummy?
38:55This is my belly button.
38:57They moved it from here to here.
39:00Yeah, it doesn't look nice.
39:05They performed a skin graft,
39:09so they had to take meat from my thigh, my left thigh,
39:14and put it on my tummy.
39:16I remember writing on my diary,
39:19No more happy Nelly.
39:21No more Nelly with crop tops.
39:24And I started writing it down.
39:28That diary was supposed to be a positive diary
39:33where I write things about myself.
39:36I said, there's nothing positive I'm going to write about myself right now.
39:43It took me months and months
39:46until I actually realised that I need to find something,
39:51no more self-pitying.
39:53So I decided to own it and take it and live it.
39:57It was at this point that Nelly decided to show the world
40:00that she wasn't afraid to show her scars.
40:03I started calling a friend of mine who's a photographer,
40:06and I said, can we do this?
40:08I'm willing to take pictures of myself with scars
40:13and just show it to people that I'm back.
40:23The first picture that I posted on social media,
40:26I was actually shocked at how people reacted to it.
40:31People started sharing it,
40:34and they will comment about how brave you are.
40:39She's such a tiny person, but she's very brave and strong.
40:45And then I decided that from there,
40:48I will post more pictures that will inspire people.
41:00It takes a lot to accept yourself.
41:03Do something that makes you happy.
41:06You need to love yourself first
41:09and be gentle for yourself first
41:12before the outside world do the same thing to you.
41:21Scars are not a problem to me.
41:24The way I look at them is they give me a reason to be happy.
41:30I have this second life.
41:34Unlike Nelly, Zizipho has always looked different.
41:38For camellia, lower limbs is a condition that affects the limbs
41:44as well as the organs.
41:46Most of the time, you find people that are missing arms or legs.
41:51My childhood was not so sweet
41:53because I had to go do things that I was not prepared for,
41:57like playing with other kids.
41:59That was a challenge for me.
42:03Physically, I think it affects me
42:06when it comes to having to perform some of the chores,
42:09like washing your clothes, cooking sometimes,
42:12and also walking long distances.
42:25My mother is coming through from the Eastern Cape.
42:28She lets me be me. She never judges me.
42:31She always supports whatever that I do.
42:34Because of where Zizi grew up,
42:36her and her family had to get used to being judged
42:39because of how she was born.
42:41People thinking that people that are living with disabilities
42:45are actually cursed.
42:47I mean, she's like this because she's bewitched,
42:50or that she was cursed because the parents did this wrong.
42:53It's really hard for you to even forget
42:55about how people used to treat you,
42:57how they used to talk to you.
43:00And it was that day of your graduation.
43:02Do you remember?
43:04Yes.
43:05You see here?
43:06She didn't want to wear the prosthetic shoe here.
43:09I remember that time.
43:11She was always asking at me,
43:13Mommy, what's wrong with this shoe?
43:15She was a brilliant child.
43:17When I see my child has got a short leg
43:21and she has got no arm,
43:23I was crying a lot
43:25because I didn't know what was happening.
43:28I used to pray every day and say,
43:30God, can you please give strength to my baby?
43:32Because I love her.
43:34And she is the only one that I've got.
43:39Right now I am packing.
43:42We are going to a photo shoot for my Instagram.
43:47I like changing scenes and changing clothes.
43:50I like being sexy.
43:52I wish that I was born without the disability
43:55because it would have made a lot of things easier for me.
43:58But then again, sometimes I also think that
44:01maybe if I was able-bodied,
44:03things wouldn't have been how they are.
44:06When I was growing up,
44:08there were times where I just didn't want to be around people.
44:11Now it's different.
44:13Now I want to be everywhere.
44:14I want you to see me.
44:17When I signed with a modeling agency last year,
44:21after them seeing my profile on Instagram,
44:24I went for my Polaroids and voila.
44:28I used to dream about being a model all my life
44:32and you get people saying,
44:34you can't be a model because you look like this.
44:39She's powerful.
44:41She's a woman.
44:44She's a believer,
44:47a dreamer,
44:48and she's a go-getter.
44:50One thing about her is Zizi will hustle.
44:52She will get what she wants to get.
44:54That's it.
44:56I started my social media in 2019.
45:00I need to get on there and show them that
45:03we also have people that look like me
45:07that are also popping.
45:10If it is not well communicated
45:13or the word is not out there about people that look like this,
45:17then we're still going to have stigma.
45:21I want to be somebody that inspired someone
45:26to live their lives despite their limitations.
45:33Loving yourself from the inside out.
45:37It's taken Paige years to learn to love how she looks.
45:41Just when I was cute.
45:42My birthmark was very, very, very dark.
45:45It was just dark purple when I was born.
45:49Throughout time, it got a little bit lighter.
45:51I was born with a port wine stain birthmark,
45:54which is pretty much half of my face.
45:56It goes into my neck and my ear
45:59and pretty much half of my head.
46:02A port wine stain is a mutation
46:05that causes enlarged blood vessels, essentially.
46:10The color kind of looks like someone just threw wine on you.
46:16School was tough.
46:18There was definitely a lot of bullying.
46:20Elementary school predominantly was a big challenge.
46:25It was definitely a roller coaster.
46:27It was really difficult for me
46:29to just have somebody just see me
46:32and just not my birthmark
46:34and, you know, not the freak in the class.
46:40It was a lot of staring, a lot of questions,
46:43which I still get today from mainly adults.
46:46You know, if I got burned, if I was in a fight.
46:49If I didn't have to be basically forced
46:52to acknowledge my birthmark,
46:55that I wouldn't have openly accepted it like I do now.
47:00Having struggled with her appearance
47:02throughout her early years,
47:03Paige took to social media
47:05to try and help build her confidence
47:07and teach others about her birthmark.
47:09Photo for the gram today.
47:11I started my Instagram, I think, about three years ago.
47:15So I started taking photos of my birthmark,
47:17highlighting them in different ways,
47:19outlining it, filling it with glitter.
47:25I wanted to create a platform.
47:27Anyone who just felt just so imperfect and flawed,
47:30they can come to an Instagram page like mine, hopefully,
47:35and just feel really proud to be different.
47:38The comments that I get in some of the photos that I post,
47:42it's very, very, very empowering and inspiring.
47:48Today, Paige has arranged a photo shoot
47:51for herself and other young women
47:53with visible differences.
47:55OK, so we've got four models total.
48:01So this is all lingerie from Curvy Kate that's sponsoring,
48:06which is going to be fun.
48:09Who's going to be in that outfit?
48:11That potentially will be April,
48:13who is highlighting a bit of Lego.
48:15And then we've got Keely,
48:17who is highlighting elastomy with the stoma bag.
48:22No, I am very excited.
48:24My 10-year-old self would be cringing,
48:29probably throwing up right now.
48:40Hi, how are you?
48:42Nice to meet you.
48:44Today I'm especially excited
48:46because of the additional wonderful women
48:49that we have on this one.
48:51I think it's going to turn out beautiful,
48:53so I'm very excited.
48:59This is going to be a really beautiful, bold, real shoot.
49:12I have a bit of Lego,
49:14and a bit of Lego causes loss of melanin in my skin in patches.
49:18The photo shoot went well.
49:20It was pretty interesting to be shooting in a church.
49:23I've never done that before.
49:27I was a little nervous and just not sure
49:30how everything was going to play.
49:32Oh yeah, the glitter is showing up really well.
49:35The photos turned out really, really great.
49:37Everyone did amazing.
49:39I really hope that photos like this
49:41can become the new normal.
49:44I have a lot in mind
49:48that I want to do with this campaign.
49:50I want this conversation to be had everywhere.
49:54I want to see that on billboards.
49:56I want to see that in film.
49:57I want to see that in our fashion shows.
49:59I mean, I want it just to completely take over
50:02the beauty industry.
50:05Simone has also been working
50:07to challenge traditional beauty standards.
50:09I cannot count the times that people have come on my page
50:12and say, wow, you're fat.
50:14And honestly, I know already.
50:16Hey guys, I'm here today with my best friend Asia.
50:19Just got finished doing a great photo shoot and
50:22we look set.
50:23Yeah.
50:24Yeah.
50:25She wants to challenge people who shame her
50:27for being plus size by reclaiming the word fat.
50:30Growing up, eating and emotion went hand in hand for me.
50:33What kind of food haven't we had before?
50:35I developed an emotional dependency with food.
50:38What is your favorite type of ice cream?
50:40I've been called a plethora of names,
50:43especially when I was a kid,
50:45I was called Fat Albert, Big Tub of Lar.
50:48I put the word fat in caps on my Instagram pages
50:52and all my social media because I want people to know
50:54that it's something that I'm aware of.
50:56And to be honest, to save people the trouble
50:58of doing that on my social media,
50:59I just get it out of the way for them.
51:01I started the hashtag WeWearWhatWeWant
51:04because I saw a story on my Twitter feed
51:06about a plus size woman who was being publicly body shamed.
51:09And I realized that that is a very common experience
51:12for all plus size women.
51:13I actually really love the hashtag.
51:14I've always been, like, a big proponent
51:16of, like, women wearing whatever we want to wear
51:18because why shouldn't we, you know?
51:20Since I've reclaimed words like chunky, chubby,
51:23fluffy, voluptuous,
51:25I have no problem calling myself those names.
51:30Hello, and welcome to a fat girl's world
51:32here at thepowerofvoices.com.
51:34My name is Simone.
51:38I am strongly against the fetishization
51:41of fat women or plus size women
51:43because so often plus size women
51:45are seen as sexual objects in just our bodies.
51:48And I want to emphasize that there are people
51:51within those bodies who have feelings,
51:53who have emotions, who have thoughts,
51:55and I want them to feel free to express those.
52:02I have done a good amount of plus size modeling.
52:04My personal style as eccentric,
52:08colorful, vibrant, show-stopping.
52:11A lot of people feel that as a plus size model
52:14or somebody that's in the spotlight for being plus size,
52:18their mission is about promoting obesity.
52:21It's not about promoting an unhealthy lifestyle.
52:24For me, it's simply about teaching women
52:27to love themselves the way they are now.
52:29Simone is authentically herself in every situation.
52:35What is that?
52:37It's kind of cool.
52:38And this is probably one of my favorites.
52:41I've been told that fat girls can't wear short shorts,
52:43that fat girls can't show their skin,
52:45show their arms, show their rolls,
52:46but I honestly said, who cares?