MODEL DIARIES: FROM TOOWOOMBA TO NEW YORK CITY
From a tiny town to a mega city; never in my life did I believe that I - a curvy girl from the bush - would be walking the runway in Times Square during New York Fashion Week.
Fashion is something that I feel is so personal to each person, and one’s style is an ever changing journey. When I was growing up in the bush, my only knowledge of New York fashion was in correspondence with the media that we were consuming at the time (does anyone else remember Gossip Girl or One Tree Hill…there’s no way we ever dressed that glamourous in the bush).
Image by @naturaloakstudio
However, I was born in the nineties and I witnessed diet culture within every fashion or beauty article. The chronic pressure to change yourself with what you would wear or what you would eat to reach an unrealistic beauty standard of perfection, was constantly being crammed down our throats - no pun intended.
Fast forward thirty years and the shift into diversity and inclusivity is something I could never have imagined. As a woman who has just entered her thirties, I can reflect on how far the industry has come in this short amount of time. When I was selected to model for Times Square Fashion Week, I experienced a mixture of emotions.
Image by @thelifeofjimmyy
You see, despite seeing the shift of including curvy and diverse models on runways, it still came with its uncertainties. “Am I here because I earned this or am I here as a token?” are some of the thoughts that frequently circulate my mind.
However, due to these changes within the industry over recent years, I found myself more capable of overcoming these thoughts, so that I could go forward and participate in one of the most exhilarating moments in my life.
Not only was walking in New York City a major highlight, but the conversations I was able to have with other models, designers and retail workers really helped me with developing my opinion on the fashion scene and understanding my own experience of inclusivity.
Image by @multimediamel
