Model Aaron Philip Manifested Her Dream—With a Tweet

Aaron Philip has appeared in campaigns for Outdoor Voices, Dove, and Sephora. She’s been interviewed by Naomi Campbell for a Paper cover story. She’s made history as the first black trans model with a disability to be signed to a major modeling agency. And this summer she graduated from high school. (She wore Marc Jacobs to prom.)

Philip’s career skyrocketed when she tweeted a dare to modeling agencies in 2017. She wrote: “honestly when i get scouted/discovered by a modeling agency it's OVER for y'all! by y'all i mean the WORLD! it's real inclusivity/diversity hours folks, get into it!” It went viral. And the 18-year-old’s prediction turned out to be correct.

A year since officially joining Elite Model Management, Philip has a massive social media following, a growing portfolio, and many opportunities on the horizon. Glamour talks to the model about representation, goals, and why she looks up to Rihanna.

Glamour: When was the first time you saw yourself in fashion imagery, when you felt that you had a place in this world?

Aaron Philip: The first time I saw someone like me in fashion was when Jillian Mercado was in a Diesel campaign. That was major. I had never seen anything like that before. And mind you, Jillian Mercado is the first woman of color who is disabled to be signed to a major modeling agency, before me. I was so in complete awe just knowing that she was there, taking up space and doing her job—as she should.

Your career has really taken off because you’re a self-starter and believed in yourself and your talent before the world got to know who you are. Where does that kind of drive come from for you? Do you think that’s a quality unique to your generation?

I feel I constantly have to assert what I want, being that I’m often put into positions where it’s so easy for me to be silenced and overlooked. I wish it wasn’t like that. Even in the intersection in my identity, in terms of my transness, I make it clear that before I am trans, more than anything, I just want to be a woman—a young woman. And despite my disability, I make it clear that I’m independent. I just need accommodations to live my best life. All these things within my life have conditioned the world that I live in and the way I engage with it.

You mention first and foremost you just want to be a young woman driving her life. Do you have any advice you’d give to your peers who, like you, are on the brink of adulthood and have lofty goals they want to achieve?

Absolutely. For young black girls like myself, I know that it can be tough, so more than anything, keep your head high, know your worth and your special place in the world as a black woman. I think for young women who are trans, this world is really cruel to us. I know that more than anything. But I know resilience is in our blood and in our existence. Maintain yourself, find your community who loves you for you and who wants to celebrate you. Being yourself as you navigate the world in a way that’s safe and authentic and good to you is going to help in the long run. Know that you’re loved and supported, that time goes on and more people will see us for who we are as we continue to advocate for ourselves.

Through social media and the campaigns you’ve booked, your platform has been elevated significantly over the past 12 months—but still there are challenges, like your not being able to participate in runway shows last season because of accessibility issues. What’s something about which you want to educate the industry and the people that follow it?

Fashion is not the most accessible industry when it comes to people with disabilities, which is not a surprise. But when you think of fashion, you think about the art and forget that there’s a lot more that goes into it. It’s a matter of having conversations about disability on a corporate level, where it’s like, "Hey, do you see that person in a wheelchair over there? That’s an aspiring model and because they happen to be in a wheelchair doesn’t make them any less profitable or marketable." We want people with disabilities in high fashion because everyone deserves to see themselves represented in the first place. Hopefully, actions will be taken and examples will be set. Hopefully, there will be more signings like mine, with other people to other major agencies. I’m really hoping for that. But it all takes time.

Have you had any opportunities to speak to people on a corporate level yet? Is that part of the long-term goal?

It’s definitely an ongoing long-term goal. I think conversations like that happen with existence as a model in the industry, being that people will want to accommodate me. That’s what people are looking at now. I’m just hoping, more than anything, that they happen so we can see models like myself doing runways and huge campaigns for Gucci, Prada, and Dior. That’s what I want to see.

You made your runway debut earlier this summer.

Yeah, that was exciting!

What was going through your mind? Was it different from what you expected?

That was a really special day. When I first started my modeling career, from the get-go I knew my goal was to become a professional runway and editorial model. I realized early on that this is not that easy and that fashion has a lot of adjustments to make—a lot of coming around, of normalizing people like myself, of giving us space to thrive and exist. But doing that runway was really beautiful in that I did it with my best friend: I’ve known Willie Norris, the designer who cast me, for such a long time. The fact that my agency let me do that job with him was so special. Not only is he a special person to me, but he’s also a huge part of the community. Physically doing it was so interesting. We practiced the day of, so I didn’t know what I was going into. I knew that I was excited. I felt my heart beating out my chest, my hands shaking as I was on the runway. It was a lot. Of course, I want to continue my runway career now that I’ve had my debut, because I feel like more than anything it made a statement—that this is possible. I think that when fashion looks at people with disabilities and aspiring models with disabilities, they assume that they’re not capable of doing the things that able-bodied models can do. But that’s wrong. It’s just a matter of having accommodation in place so that it can happen.

Since you’re a member of Gen Z, social media has been a part of your life for a long time.

I was basically born and raised on the internet.

So having that upbringing, what have been significant moments of feedback you’ve received as your career’s kicking off, what has that connection been like, or what has it changed for you?

I can’t help but be the same person I’ve always been, no matter what’s happening to me professionally. Also, I’m very aware of the fact that I have a lot of young LGBTQ, femme women and young girls who are inspired by me and are supporting me. I do it all for them, really. I check in with them, because I really love them. I’m one of them. How could I not look out for myself and my people? I love women, I love girls, I love femmes. And I want to make sure my work is advocating for and supporting them. I made a tweet the other day that said that sometimes I think about dropping everything and devoting my life to helping women. That’s what my heart says sometimes. I even thought about being a guidance counselor for a while—but that’s, of course, another long-term goal for when I’m, like, 40 or something.

Well, it seems like you have many options, and I don’t doubt you’ll do whatever you set your sights on. And it sounds like you’re already helping women just by being yourself. It’s amazing how you’re so engaged with the community as your own platform grows.

It’s so special to me. One side is extremely negative, and I get a lot of attention from bigots on Twitter. It’s scary at times. But the other side is the more redeeming one, where I get to deal with people who are supportive—young women and femmes and people who are inspired and who are supporting me and my journey, professionally and personally. And that’s where the love is. I’m really happy to have that and I’ll always keep that in my heart.

You mentioned all the major fashion houses. Are those a part of your long-term goals as well?

Absolutely. I don’t see my career goals as different from anyone else who wants to be successful as someone who works in high fashion. I’ve realized lately that I probably don’t want to exist just as a model—I want to end up casting people, and eventually maybe being an actress and going into filmmaking…. Honestly, I have so many goals that tie into fashion, but more than anything, I would so love to be integrated genuinely, where I’m a model just like anyone else and I’m being booked because I’m capable and everyone knows that. It’s just a matter of time and having conversations about accessibility so that it does happen.

I wanted to ask if you have any career goals for 10 years down the line, but you’re 18 and not supposed to have it all figured out. It does sound like you have a lot of vision for yourself, though, and a desire to push yourself.

I’m really inspired by Rihanna. I feel like she does so much—not to mention we’re both Pisces and from the Caribbean. But I feel like since her start at Def Jam, she’s literally built an empire. I don’t know if I want an empire, of course, but when I think about my career goals and longevity, I think about being a mix between Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, and Chloë Sevigny. I want to be a mix of all three of them, where I have that kind of range within fashion, modeling, acting, filmmaking, and photography, but I’m also authentically myself no matter what. And I make that clear and people will know me for being exactly who I say I am.

Do you set goals for yourself, in terms of jobs you book? What’s something you want to achieve within the modeling world before the end of the year?

Well, I graduated high school.

Congratulations! You sound very busy.

Actually, I’m enjoying my summer a lot. I’m taking a gap year, and then I’ll be going to Parsons in September 2020.

I’d love to hear about that. Was fashion school always part of the goal? What will you study there?

I’m actually going for photography. Before I was ever a model, I was very interested in photography and storytelling, telling narrative through photography. I’m very willing to reignite that passion in my life, now that I know what it’s like to be in front of and behind the camera. I’m excited for that. Otherwise I’m just going to continue to work a lot and continue to do what I’m doing, have fun, and enjoy being 18. I want to do all that.

My final question for you: Who do you think is a woman to watch in fashion in 2019?

La’Shaunae Steward is extremely special. She’s a plus-size model and a black woman. She’s worked extremely hard for what she has, for where she wanted to be, and for where she is right now. She’s one to watch. But she has received the brunt of a lot of hatred on the internet for being herself, wanting to be a model and wanting to be recognized for her work. It’s really discouraging to see that, but she’s talented and has so much potential. She has grit. I love that about her. I want to see her blow up.