Victoria’s Secret model Cameron Russell speaks out
We haven’t heard much of her but Victoria’s Secret model, Cameron Russell has thrown herself into the limelight by condemning the fashion industry’s obsession with the “genetic code” or as she puts it, the “genetic lottery.”
The model spoke at the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference in Palm Springs. Cameron who has walked for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and who has appeared in Vogue, did not mince words when she said, “For the past few centuries we have defined beauty not just as health and youth that we are biologically programmed to admire. But also as tall, slender figures and femininity and white skin. This is a legacy that was built for me and it’s a legacy that I have been cashing out on.” She went on to warn young girls entering the industry saying, “It’s out of your control and it’s awesome but it’s not a career path. I am the recipient of a legacy – I’ve received all these benefits from a deck stacked in my favour.” Legacy in this instance, means white, skinny and beautiful women.
She went on to tell CNN that she is the winner of a “genetic lottery.” That her success has less to do with her intelligence quotient but is based on a specific code which the fashion industry deems necessary to make it in the fashion world. In her words, “Hard work is not why I have been successful as a model…..But the most important part of my job is to show up with a 23-inch waist, looking young, feminine and white. This shouldn’t really shock anyone. Models are chosen solely based on looks.”
With those words, Cameron Russell has not only stirred up controversy on the fashion and political arena but she has managed to put herself in the limelight. Truer words have not been spoken but the question is, “Can she break the age-old concept of beauty which has stood the test of time?”
By
T. J. Mueller
