Meet Sonya Danita Charles, one of six Asia-based models who shared with Tatler how they’re breaking boundaries and refusing to be limited by gender, race, sexuality, size, age, religion or ability
The fight for representation is a collective one for Sonya Danita Charles, a freelance model, marketer and founder of Vitiligo Association Malaysia. Vitiligo is a condition in which pigmentation is lost from areas of the skin, and can be found in approximately one per cent of the global population. Models with the skin condition have been increasingly recognised by the fashion industry in recent years, and the 29-year-old, in her words, “works hard towards showing the world that models are so much more than just a pretty face, but rather people who are capable of bringing positive and impactful change in the industry”.
She urges the fashion industry to not cast diverse models only for the occasional show, but to embrace the meaning of inclusivity—for the right reasons. “I also have hopes that the efforts of every individual out there who is doing their best to make a change in this country will not go to waste; in some form or another, they are paving the way towards change—regardless of how big or small it may be.” Danita believes she has a responsibility to push forward the move towards better representation—not just for herself and her peers, but for generations to come.
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I decided that if the world around me wasn’t going to see me for who I am, then I needed to start showing them exactly who I am, and what I am made of—a stronger substance, with a voice of my own