Before we go any further, it is important to define what privilege is. Privilege is "a special advantage, immunity, permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual, class, or caste" (Steele). It is important to note that these rights are un-earned and un-asked for but almost never refused. Of course models are privileged. They did not ask to hit the genetic lottery. Model Cameron Russell has a lot to say about her privilege. In her 2013 TED Talk, she addresses some of her critical thoughts and feelings about the modeling industry. Please watch the talk below.
Russell starts the talk by saying yes, she is a model because she was scouted but it is part of something bigger. She was scouted because she is part of what society deems as beautiful. She fits into this "legacy" of pretty white girls that are tall and skinny. She did nothing to earn this right of becoming a model and she had nothing to do with creating the standards. As stated early privilege is un-earned and un-asked for but almost never turned down. Russell is fully aware of this when she says she has been "cashing out" on her looks. She was able to put herself through college and give herself a comfortable lifestyle. She also acknowledges the fact that it is difficult to call out oppression and discrimination when she benefits so much from it.
Maybe the most powerful fact about models was her example of how many models of color were used in 2007's NYFW. It was a startling less than 4%. It is with this fact that white models have more privilege. Even flipping through the September 2015 issue of Vogue it is easy to say that roughly 85% of the models are white. There are some companies, such as Versace, that used zero people of color in their campaigns.
While Russell discusses how her looks make her successful in her career, they have also helped her in everyday life. She gives the examples for forgetting her money and being given a dress and being pulled over by the police and getting let go with a warning. She realizes these things happened because of her skin color and her appearance. She knows she never at-risk for a stop-and-frisk because of the way she looks. She also realizes that because of the illusions the fashion industry creates, young girls are insecure about their bodies at young ages. She bravely admits that she too, is insecure because she is always worried about the way she looks.
"Peering" into the Future
The reason I used this TED Talk is because I thought it was a great example of someone who is in the fashion industry and is conscious of the images being produced to society. Cameron openly acknowledges how privileged she is and how she is part of an un-earned legacy. She started modeling at a very young age and was probably unaware of the word privilege and what it meant. However, now that she has learned what it is she knows how dangerous it is. The main takeaway is that we all have privileges whether they be race, gender, age, ability, sexuality, etc. and it is important to recognize this, especially in the fashion industry. This industry produces a large portion of mass media. There needs to be more representation and self-awareness to stop oppressing those that aren't 6'2", white, and thin.