Cameron Russell in 2013 :‘Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model’

Cameron says, “The real way I became a model is that I won a genetic lottery, and I am a recipient of a legacy”

TED Talks are the new trend of hobbies in this generation. In this Mid Atlantic series TED Talk, model Cameron Russell claims she has won a genetic lottery since she is everything the United States defines “good looking woman” as. She is tall, pretty, and an underwear model.

Cameron Russell has stomped the runways for Victoria’s Secret and Chanel, and has appeared in many magazines. But she is much more than just a pretty face. She had the courage to come out and speak at the TED talks exposing the tempting fashion industry environment.

The fashion industry looks very fetching . The glam and fame that it carries tempts almost everyone to step into this industry.But the words Russell uses to describe the fashion industry that had her looking seductive at 16, are shocking.

She enraptures her audience by strolling onto the stage in a bodycon black dress, looking every bit the professional model who has modelled for many fashion brands in the past. She does, however, something radical: puts on a wrap-around skirt, wears a fairly average-looking sweater, and changes into flats.

She tries to prove that she can alter our opinion of her in a mere six seconds. “How we look — though it is superficial and immutable — has a huge impact on our lives.”

Russell begins to answer a series of questions that she is frequently asked, such as how she became a model and so on. She admits she always answers by saying that she was scouted, but that isn’t the true depiction of it. “The real way I became a model is that I won a genetic lottery, and I am a recipient of a legacy. For the past few centuries, we have defined beauty not just as health and youth and symmetry that we’re biologically programmed to admire, but also as tall, slender figures with femininity and white skin. This is a legacy that was built for me, and that I’ve been cashing in on.”

She attempts to make two powerful statements. Firstly, young girls who envision becoming models must consider the profession to be akin to winning ‘Powerball’, something purely based on luck and not a concrete long-term plan. She attempts to break the stereotype that if you have skinnier thighs or shinier hair, you could be happier. She says most models, despite their skinny legs, shiny hair, and fancy clothes, are most insecure and vulnerable since they are in a career in which their appearance matters at all times. She says that the top successful models are the most insecure ladies alive.

Cameron goes on to say that the next question people always ask her is if all the photos are retouched.“And yeah, they pretty much retouch all the photos, but that is only a small component of what’s happening”- the model replied.

At one point in her speech she featured two side by side photos. On the left was a photo of Russell on a cover shoot and on the right was a photo of Russell doing ordinary things, like hanging out with friends at a slumber party.

The difference in the two photos were drastically different, proving her point that the modeling photos are a result of hours of editing and a whole production team. According to Russell, her modeling photos do not represent who she is as a person.