How many times have you sat in a meeting and cringed at a comment from someone that went against your principles?
Or felt impassioned to stand up for a cause after reading something online, but failed to find the courage to speak out, for fear of persecution?
Well, one woman who had the bravery to stand up for her beliefs recently was Australian model Ruby Jean Wilson who posted a powerful statement on Facebook detailing why she walked off a fashion set where she was asked to wear fur for a lookbook.
In her statement, Wilson says:
'After sitting for a while having my makeup done and thinking to myself that it was too late to step down and not wanting to inconvenience the whole team by leaving, I decided that it wasn't something I wanted to be a part of. I explained the situation and left the shoot.'
The model – who has walked of the likes of Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton and Burberry Prorsum explained that while she battled with her professional and moral obligations, she felt the need to leave the shoot, and urged her friends to stand up and 'say no' to actions that compromise their beliefs.
'As anxious as I felt making this decision it feels better to have stood against something that I disagree with and believe is outdated and unnecessary than to have stayed for financial gain.
'I don't believe that being in the fashion industry means that you are at the whim of designers or whomever is paying you. We have to collaboratively decide what's not cool anymore,' she added.
The model's statement has been praised by followers with comments such as 'no amount of money is worth compromising what you believe in' and 'the industry is a better place for people like you and incrementally, acts like this will change things', filling up her Facebook page.
Snaps for Ruby.
