REDEFINING BEAUTY Albinism in Fashion.
ALBINISM A rare genetically inherited condition passed on by both parents to their offspring, resulting in a significant absence of pigmentation in the hair, skin and eyes at birth. Individuals with albinism are very fair-skinned and fair-haired. Their lack of pigmentation make them more susceptible to sunburns and skin cancer. Their striking appearance have fascinated humankind for centuries, drawing reaction ranging from veneration to alienation. Misconceptions about albinism still persist to this day. Bizarre characters, usually villains, labeled albinos with snow-white skin and hair, blood-red eyes and supernatural powers plague the entertainment industry.
Fashion, a business often criticized for their lack of diversity has embraced three different models that expand our definition of beauty.
Connie Chiu, Shaun Ross and Diandra Forrest are the only models with albinism that have broken through to mainstream fashion. Between the three of them they have worked for Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vogue, ID, GQ and Gap among others.
Ever since Connie Chiu can remember, she has been stared at.
A genetic disorder that left her without any colour, has turned out to be her fortune.
Many models are considered over the hill by 25, and Connie, at 5ft 3ins is hardly a classic, tall beauty. But in a business full of conventionally pretty faces, looking different pays offf. Connie Chieu is a very much sought-after model. “I guess there aren’t many models that look like me, so my age and height doesn’t matter. It’s all about luck and timing. I have the right look for this time.”
“I don’t think I’m beautiful in a conventional way, but that makes life intersting. I have a very strong individual appearance and if people don’t like it, that’s fine.”
“Albinos don’t model! Why are you doing it?” A young man once asked Shaun Ross. “I do what I do because they told me I couldn’t,” he sharply replied.
“Iron gets put through unbearable fire and heat to be made into steel”. He says it describes his career in the fashion industry today, facing the trials and tribulations that come with the territory of being the first male African-American albino model. “I have people who stare at me ‘24-7’ with their children, in either excitement or discharge. And numerous people feel that I’m an extraterrestrial life form of some sort.” The road to Shaun’s success in fashion has not always been receptively positive and he has encountered negative feedback due to his albinism, a look that might not appeal to all clients.
“I was told that I would never do certain campaigns and editorials, because I am not ‘consumer’ enough. Meaning that I’m not your every day person who walks the street.”
Tall, blonde, high cheekbones, hazel eyes, full lips. Diandra Forrest would be anyone’s dream girl. Her African features and pale skin has made her stand out among a sea of “look-a-like” models.
“I personally think that the fashion world is moving toward being more open-minded to unique looks. I am just glad to hopefully be able to change the views of what’s beautiful.”
When she walked through the doors of the well-known modeling agency, Elite her former agent Calvin Wilson said he couldn’t take his eyes of her pictures. But along with all the agents’ enthusiasm for Forrest’s striking beauty, there were concerns about her being an African-American with albinism. In an industry where everyone’s looking for the next big thing, Forrest insists she’s not a gimmick. “I’m a model, but I’m not a model because I’m an albino. I have the look and the body. It’s something that I’ve strived for, that I’ve always wanted to do.”