In the media, models are meant to be seen, not heard. But 25-year-old Cameron Russell is challenging this limitation by speaking out on the “genetic lottery” responsible for her wild success.

Russell began modeling at age 16. Since then, she has worked with an impressive list of designers, including Prada, Marc Jacobs, Versace and Chanel. Society perceives her as a model and nothing more, but Russell has recently begun to speak out against the modeling industry, and is proving to be more than just a pretty face.

In October 2012, Russell gave a presentation for TED, a series of conferences that share ideas about technology, entertainment and design. Though the talk was given more than six months ago, it was only posted online in January. Since then, it has gone viral, and Russell has been invited to speak for news sources such as CBS Nightline.

In her presentation, Russell began by walking onstage in a short, tight, black dress and heels. But she quickly transformed the audience’s perspective by changing, on stage, into a loose cardigan and floor-length skirt.

By changing her appearance, she suddenly became more than a model; she became someone worth listening to. It became clear she had more to contribute than her physical attributes.

Russell included a slide show in her talk that showed modeling photographs side by side with unprofessional pictures taken of her during the same week. The stark difference was shocking, and exposed the power of transformation through makeup, clothing and hair.

The visual contrast in the professional versus non-professional pictures helped pull back the curtain on what it truly means to be in the modeling industry. Rather than feed into the glamorization, she talks about how and why she became a model, crediting her success to the beauty ideals of our culture.

Russell discusses how our society glamorizes what it means to be a model. It creates unrealistic expectations for women, while at the same time, makes them believe that if they work hard enough, they can look the same. Her activism on the topic is refreshing because most models do not openly acknowledge this. It shows how aware Russell is of her surroundings and what allowed her to reach success.

She bluntly states she is simply cashing in on a beauty legacy that was established long ago for tall, slender, white women. Getting her makeup and hair done illuminates her physical appearance, transforming her naturally beautiful and subtle attributes into an overly sexy and exaggerated version of herself.

Russell’s honesty has caused some to be skeptical. If our culture’s perception of beauty is so skewed, why continue a career in modeling?

Despite the industries carefully crafted façade, Russell is able to separate herself from her modeling career. She goes to work in the morning and leaves at the end of the day, but her work and personal life are not intertwined. As long as she remains honest in the process, Russell does not feel she needs to abandon the industry altogether.

Russell’s openness in sharing her modeling experiences, both past and present, is not common for models in the industry. Most current models don’t engage with the public on the secrets of their careers, let alone admit their occupation stems from the luck of genetics.

There is little our society can do about the perception of beauty because it is so heavily ingrained in our culture. But Russell is an example of what can happen if people in the industry maintain an honest relationship with the public, especially women.

Next time the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is on and men around the country idealize and fawn over the Russell, it will be nice to know she is in tune with the falseness the industry represents.

Paris Bethel is a sophomore advertising major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected].

Published on April 10, 2013 at 2:13 am