Runway Model Announces She's Quitting The Industry For This One Reason
Australian model Ajak Deng, 25, announced she is quitting the fashion business and moving back home because she can longer deal with the "dramatic life."
She shared the news in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
In the caption, she wrote,
Put your best foot forward. I am happy to announce that I am officially done with the fashion industry, I will be moving back to Australia in order to live the life that I fully deserved. Which is real life. I can no longer deal with the fakes and the lies. My life is too short for this dramatic life. I am thankful and grateful for every sweet souls that I have crossed path with.
Ajak starred in many major fashion campaigns, and just last week, she modeled at New York Fashion Week in shows for Marc Jacobs and Zac Posen. https://instagram.com/p/BB-Zmc4ioKy/embed/
She did not elaborate on any particular "fakes" and "lies," but her manager, Stephen Bucknall, recently told the Herald Sun the Australian fashion industry gives bigger budgets to white fashion models over black models.
Shortly after the announcement, South Sudanese model Nykhor Paul posted an Instagram supporting Ajak and urging the modeling industry to improve its treatment of black models. https://instagram.com/p/BCLeBWzL-tU/embed/
In the caption, Paul said,
I am sad to lose one of the most beautiful top models from my country because of these ignorant people in fashion who forgot what a fashion show consist of. We need variety in the runways and magazines because this sh*t is getting boring!!! They are breaking our backs with these racist sh*t! We came to the west to find peace and stability instead it's been unbearable to just exist. Can we just be beautiful and have you accept that and be comfortable with that!!! We sure as hell don't treat you this way when you come to Africa!! We black models have to stand together and support each other without fear of losing your job or being label as the big mouth angry black person, or lose the white privileges that you now think you have because we are all going through something but are not organized to speak in unison about these nonsense!! Kisses and smiles don't mean anything, modeling is a job, a regular job! The only difference is the job requirements! This is an industry where we the blacks models are at the bottom levels as much as they shoot us everyday we will never reach the white models level. We are in a business were ignorants white people put themselves at the pedestal constantly because they think they are the most beautiful, the most intelligent, the most creative, the most heroic, the best at everything. We are the added on last minute options not a priority!! They have manage to destroy us and shred us to pieces with no one to speak us for us. This is fashion but it's way deeper than just pretty girls walking down catwalks!!! This is extreme bullying!!! Illusions will get us nowhere! Stop hurting us in this way, God don't like ugly!!!
Ajak posted another photo to her Instagram following the announcement, thanking her supporters and assuring people she is very happy with her decision.
In the caption, Ajak said,
Awe you guys are so sweet and kind. Thank you for for your concerns but I am good and very happy with my decision. I am a fighter and a go getta, I will figured out what to do next. I love you all and thank you.
This is obviously a loss for the fashion industry, but all the best to Ajak for taking care of herself and living her best life.
Citations: This Model Is Quitting the Industry Because of the "Fakes and the Lies" (Cosmopolitan), Australian supermodel Ajak Deng's manager says fashion industry prefers to spend big budgets on white models (Herald Sun)
