‘I’m Very Sick Of Talking About My Skin…I’m Not A Vitiligo Spokesperson’ – Winnie Harlow

Canadian model, Winnie Harlow is the cover star for the February 2017 issue of Elle Canada.

Born Chantelle Brown-Young, the 22-year-old came into limelight when she was discovered on Instagram by Tyra Banks and subsequently went on to take part in the supermodel’s reality show, America’s Next Top Model.

In her interview with Elle, Winnie admits to being fed up with talking about her skin condition (Vitiligo), she also opens up on growing up, her dreams and aspirations among other things.

See excerpts and photos from the cover shoot below.

On growing up with Vitiligo: “As a child, I really hated it. I think, regardless of my skin condition, my mom is very conservative with dressing—like, when she’s helping me do laundry and she sees a thong, she’s like, ‘What is this dental floss in your laundry basket?’ With my skin, I have to avoid direct contact with the sun, so that combined with my mom being conservative meant I grew up wearing stockings under shorts and long sleeves under tank tops. It was kind of embedded in me that I was supposed to be covering up. As I grew up, people would still stare, but, I don’t know, me feeling uncomfortable just disappeared. I’d be walking out with friends and they’d be like, ‘Don’t you feel everyone staring?’ and I’d be like, ‘No, I actually don’t. I just don’t care.’”

On the pressure to be a role model:“I’m very sick of talking about my skin. I am literally just a human. I have the same brain as you; there’s a skeleton under my skin just like yours. It’s not that serious. I don’t put pressure on myself. People try to put it on me—like I speak for women, for black women. There’s so many other pieces to me. I’m not a vitiligo spokesperson just because I have vitiligo. I don’t perm my hair anymore, but I’m not a natural-hair expert just because it grows out of my head like that. I’m just living life. And if that inspires you, I’m proud, but I’m not going to put pressure on myself to be the best person in the world and tell everyone I have vitiligo. If you want to know about it, you can do your research. Either way, I’m not in the dictionary under ‘vitiligo.’”

On her plans for the future: I plan to walk for Victoria’s Secret one day. I’d be so honoured if they would have me. People say I should get into acting because of my big personality, and, honestly, I will say I’m a bit of a crazy person. I walk around my house having a fake argument with a boyfriend who has cheated on me, and I’ll go so far as to have my eyes watering as I’m cussing out this fake boyfriend, just to see if I can pull that emotion.”