African-American model, once bullied for albinism, is the beauty inspiration you need this week

Diandra Forrest is setting new standards of beauty as she redefines inclusion in the modelling fraternity. Read on

By: Shamita Harsh |
October 11, 2017 12:06 pm

In India, skin discolouration – be it vitiligo or albinism – comes with a side of deep-rooted prejudice. Albinism is a genetic disorder that causes one’s skin, hair, or eyes to have little or no color because of a lack of production of melanin. People with albinism, are sadly, not always seen as ‘normal’ with most treating their condition as an affliction.

Meet Diandra Forrest, an African-American model and actress and the first female model with albinism to be signed to a major modelling agency. She has since her launch in the modelling world, appeared on the cover of Ebony magazine, featured in a Beyoncé music video in 2013 and also walked the New York Fashion Week last year. Today, she is one of the five faces of Wet n Wild’s new Breaking Beauty campaign, which celebrates inclusivity. She’s the first model with albinism to land a major beauty campaign and is taking the first step towards changing the way the industry views albinism or any disorder that requires women to cover up and conform to society’s skewed beauty standards.

#breakingbeauty #wetnwild

A post shared by Diandra Forrest (@diandraforrest) on Oct 10, 2017 at 10:06pm PDT

Diandra’s story is an inspiration for all not only those models who are unsure of stepping in the spotlight and facing the camera.

Thanks for the feature @elleusa @everystylishgirl Check out full interview on Elle.com

A post shared by Diandra Forrest (@diandraforrest) on Mar 17, 2017 at 3:00pm PDT

Fell in love with the “Diandra” shade from the @neveendominiccosmetics RUNWAY COLLECTION

A post shared by Diandra Forrest (@diandraforrest) on Aug 15, 2017 at 4:26pm PDT

And she is just like everyone else. Except that not everyone has the poise she can boast of.

Who doesn’t love a selfie?

A post shared by Diandra Forrest (@diandraforrest) on Jul 26, 2017 at 12:55pm PDT

With over 137,000 followers on Instagram, she is a pretty popular model not just on the ramp but off it. Last year she launched the Beyond My Skin Campaign, which aimed at celebrating Albinism. Diandra was one of the five incredible individuals who have coped with prejudice, ridicule and bullying.

When you see people with albinism or anyone that is different you should go deeper than what’s on the surface.

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Diandra is a solid example of how one finds peace with who they are and learns to accept themselves in their own skin.

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