It’s taken two months for this to be news.
In October, Victoria’s Secret model Cameron Russell gave a TED Talk at an event in Washington, D.C. Her advice? Don’t be a supermodel.
In the ten minute lecture, she urged girls against following in her footsteps, and went into detail the body image issues that often stem from a career in modelling. Titled, “Be Fearless,” the video was posted on December 6, and it’s only taken until this week to earn any attention. However, the attention has all been good.
According to NY Daily News, Jezebel praised Russell, for doing “her darndest to unpack the knapsack of beauty privilege,” while MTV saw it as an “inspiring discussion about the power of image, not only in her industry, but in all of our lives.”
Which is absolutely awesome. Considering Russell shared the event with the likes of Colin Powell, top scientists, and singer Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick (who received a double lung transplant), it’s only makes sense for her to step up and addresses the realities of a muti-billion dollar industry. Perhaps if more women in the industry did that, there’d be a new focus on embracing who you are.
You can watch the full TED Talk here:
