THIS IS WHO I AM

FUCK IT. This who I am. Take it or fuck off.

Once upon a time, there was an era where the opinions of others where the standards by which we held ourselves. The way we applied our lipstick, the way in which we turned our caps and tied our shoe laces all had to abide by a certain standard for the fear of social backlash. We’d speak in a certain way to be accepted by a certain group of people. We’d silence ourselves, suppressed our real view because we didn’t want stand out like a sore thumb.

It’s 2018. Dead that. Fuck it. We say no.

Atypicals don’t align themselves with what the people dem say is “alright”. We are challengers. We fight the social expectations every single fucking day and we don’t get tired. In fact, this is what drives us. We are different and we want to uphold that. We contest and idealistic standard of what is beautiful and we feel really good about it. There’s something captivating when one is confident, strong and distinct without a care in this world about anything.

At Atypical we take stereotypes by the hair, drag them a little bit and show them who’s boss – us. We are who we are and we don’t care regardless of anything.

In our SKIN edition we’ve decided to hail three famous pioneers that are using their stories to create awareness amongst millions of people.

In the spotlight we have: Katie Piper, Diandra Ross and Winnie Harlow. All three women have a unique story to tell but do not allow their experiences to limit them. In fact they take their so(ciety)-called “deformity” and turn it into a powerful to not only to earn money but top inspire millions of women around the world.

With her flawlessly pale skin, full lips and piercing eyes, Diandra Forrest was the first female albino model to be signed to a high-profile modelling agency. Rather than shying away from an industry that is so brutal when norms are not met, she has used her stunningly emphasised features to seize the front covers of many magazines and high profiled campaigns. “People with albinism are looked at as something that is maybe extra-terrestrial, an odd beauty, not just a regular beauty, whatever that it” stated Diandra.  

Discovered by legend model Tyra Banks via Instagram, Winnie Harlow has gone from a contestant on America’s Next Top Model to strutting down the some of the world’s greatest runways even though she has Vitiligo. About Winnie, Tyra said: “Her skin breaks down barriers of what is considered beautiful.” Though her time in the ANTM house was somewhat tumultuous and this led to her elimination by the second episode, nothing was ever going to impede Winnie from achieving her dream of being a high fashion model. Vitiligo is a condition in which there is a melanin deficiency. As opposed to Albinism where the whole body is affected, Vitiligo cause patches of pale skin. In some cases, these patches spread over the body. Winnie’s unique skin condition earned her the terms “zebra” and a “cow,” in school, forcing her drop out of school at just 16. Committing suicide would regularly play at the back of Winnie’s mind. She said: “The harassment and the despair that it brought on was so dehumanizing that I wanted to kill myself.” She was labelled leper and accused of bleaching her skin. Despite such a mentally and emotionally challenging childhood, Winnie’s dream of being a model was left untampered. Questioning the constricted depictions of beauty, Winnie has used her unique features to catapult her to her success.  

"To be able to break boundaries with something that for years people have said is ugly, or something that should hold you back, its mainly hard work that gets you to where you want to be regardless of the boundaries you’re faced with.” 

We salute you Winnie!

Former model Katie Piper is a warrior. In 2008, her boyfriend brutally raped and assaulted her. To complete this monstrous act, he doused her in acid, changing her life forever. The skin from her face was completely removed and she was given a skin substitute, followed by a skin graft. Katie has undergone 40 surgical operations to date but this experience has motivated Katie in the most unfathomable ways in spite of her permanent scars. Katie has successfully created the Katie Piper Foundation, a charity aimed at provided care for burns victims.

“The Katie Piper Foundation’s aim is to have a world where scars do not limit a person’s function, social inclusion or sense of well-being.”

Her story continues to be a source of inspiration for many. Katie was tired of being a “faceless, voiceless person” and is now a woman of resilience. Katie’s worth doesn’t even lie in her looks but in her robust attitude.

These three powerful figures maybe looked at with negative perceptions, but it’s fair to say that with the movement they’re making, who could careless? They’ve recognised their “deformities” and told the world, “fuck it.”