For years, model Teddy Quinlivan was known for her fashion fairytale ascent. After being discovered by Louis Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquière at the age of 21 in 2015, she has enjoyed a successful career as both a runway and campaign regular.
However, last year she risked loosing it all by revealing to CNN that she is transgender.
She disclosed that she transitioned at 16 and was able to work and live secretly as a cis woman since then. However, in a personal and political move, she decided she could no longer hide her identity.
Thankfully, the fashion world embraced the model, celebrating her decision to live truthfully.
Now, the 23 year-old has made another brave leap, disclosing her very own #MeToo story.
In a panel at the Gurls Talk festival with Teen Vogue and Coach on Sunday, the Boston-native spoke about the prevalence of sexual assault in and outside of the fashion industry.
Teen Vogue reports that she firstly boldy announced that, like many women, she is sadly no stranger to assault, 'I've been sexually assaulted at work, outside of work by people I work with, and on a date.'
She then honed in on the fashion industry's particular issues when it comes to sexual violence.
'There's this sexual assault that happens in the workplace in fashion and people write it off because it's a creative industry. Because we're creatives, and we're sexually free, your sexual assault doesn't matter. Because he touched you there, it's not that big of a deal. You signed up for it. You have to take your clothes off for the photo.'
She continued discussing the blurred lines there can often be on a photography set, making it difficult for everyone to police what is appropriate or not.
'There are moments where someone has touched me and it hasn't been sexual,' Quinlivan said. 'They had to move a strap and accidentally brushed up against my nipple. It's no big deal. There are other times where there are people sticking fingers in my underwear and groping me.'
The Marc Jacobs model then detailed her own assault by an unnamed photographer and how is made her feel.
'In my case, it was a photographer,' she recalled, 'That person was a hero of mine: someone who I looked up to, someone who I admired. And it made me question: what did I do to deserve this? How did I get myself into this situation? The truth is, you didn't say or do anything. You just existed and that person chose you today.'
Quilivan was extremely frank with the audience, expressing how the power balance and dependence on personal relationships on sets lend itself to this kind of abuse.
Thankfully, the model has found her voice, and hopefully her continued outspoken nature will help more models speak up.
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
