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Aaron Philip: The trans, disabled model taking on a $2-trillion industry
Aaron Philip's life has been transformed by becoming the first black, trans, disabled model to sign for a major agency. Since joining the renowned Elite Model Management last September, the 17-year-old has shot editorial for i-D magazine and been named in Teen Vogue's "21 Under 21," among much else.
This isn't to say she'd struggled to forge her own opportunities -- Philip had already modeled for the likes of ASOS and H&M through her own volition. But the backing of an agency (one that has represented Heidi Klum, Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks) has opened access to an industry ill-equipped to meet the needs of a wheelchair user.
Born with cerebral palsy and identifying as a gender-non-conforming trans woman, Philip is an unprecedented force in mainstream fashion. Although she consistently rejects the activist label ("i'm not an activist," she tweeted in December, "i just give a f*** lol."), the Antigua-born model is nonetheless vocal about her high expectations for the industry.
[QUOTEWith trans visibility surging in recent years (gender non-conforming models have earned a significant presence at the "big four" fashion weeks), Philip now sees disability, rather than race or gender, as the most prominent target of industry discrimination.][/QUOTE]
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