The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2019 - Issue 26

Porter, Love, Interview, and T Magazine, editorials, commercials and advertis- ing campaigns for the likes of Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Giambattista Valli and Tiffany’s. In 2011, Smalls became the first Latino model to become the face of Estée Lauder Cosmetics! As such, she became one of the brand’s global beauty ambassadors. Estée Lauder’s global creative direc- tor, Richard Ferretti said, “The word supermodel is overused, but if there’s any woman of our generation who deserves the title, it’s Joan. She can go from looking girl-next-door to super- chic-tough-strong — and she is all of that.” Later in 2015, she would con- tinue working with the colossal beauty brand in creating a line of 12 new matte lipsticks that are now permanent items in their lip colour collection. To add to this incredible portfolio, Smalls also appeared in Ricky Martin’s ‘It’s Alright’ music video, A$AP Rocky’s 2013 ‘Phoenix’ track, Beyoncé’s 2015 ‘Yoncé’ music video with fellow models Chanel Iman and Jourdan Dunn. She was also a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Lip Sync Battle and co-hosted MTV’s House of Style with Karlie Kloss. In 2013, she graced the cover of Vanity Fair with Karlie Kloss, which featured ‘The New Supers’ marking her impres- sive status, a super in less than four years! In 2015, the Joan Smalls x True Religion denim collection was debuted, and in 2017, she collaborated with Ariela & Associates to create Smart and Sexy, a line of swimwear and lingerie for Walmart. Also, in 2017, she added to her cosmetic brand accomplishments by becoming the fresh face of Moschi- no’s fragrance, Fresh Couture Gold, making this her first fragrance cam- paign. Most recently, she dipped her toe into acting and performed in Net- flix’s rom-com hit Set it Up . Oh! And she was also named the first Global Fashion Innovator for W Hotels, and also became the face of the Etihad x Diane Von Furstenberg capsule col- lection in 2018, in celebration of the Etihad Airways’ 15th Anniversary. Her massively impressive fashion success aside, Smalls is truly passion- ate about helping others. Helping with such organisations as Project Sunshine, which is a non-profit for children with medical needs, The Garden of Dreams Foundation, a non-profit that works with The Madison Square Garden and MSG Networks, Inc. to aid chil- dren facing life obstacles. She has also appeared in the ‘Jeans for Refugees’ campaign by Johny Dar that was an artistic fundraising plan with all pro- ceeds going to the International Rescue Committee that was devoted to aiding refugees in need around the world. To say Smalls has accomplished a life- time of work in little over a decade would be the understatement of the century, but wait! There’s more! Over the last few years, the model has perhaps made her biggest impact on the world by speaking out about the need for equality and positive diver- sity within the fashion industry. As mentioned, she began her foray into modelling by competing in local beauty pageants and losing. She used this rejection as a positive platform to help her see that their ‘no’s’ only left the door open for someone to say ‘yes’; that this can be done. Her heritage as an Afro-Latino also encourages and inspires her to make a point that not everyone has to fit the foreseen idea of the ‘perfect beauty’ mould, which she’s standing for more than a designer. Smalls told NBC News journalists Sandra Guzman and Brock Stoneham in a 21 September 2017 interview, “I always knew that when- ever you go out there, you’re not just representing yourself,” she said. “You’re representing a heritage that’s behind you, your culture, so you always have to do things like bigger, badder, better.” She is teaching her fashion peers that not all Latinos— or all Puerto Ricans— look one way. “It was a lot of educating people of what a Puerto Rican is because it’s like a melting pot of different races,” she said. “So it’s like constantly sending that message across that there are more people that look like me. You want people to not only notice the clothes, but to notice you, and that you bring something to the clothes, that the outfit isn’t wearing you. And that women see it and it’s like, “Wow, I wanna look like that, or I wanna feel how she’s feeling.” Smalls wants us all to feel free and confident to be who we are, and that no fashion trend or forethought notion can dictate our outlook on what’s “supposed to be beautiful.” A few weeks ago during NYFW, Smalls gave an interview with Gillian Brett for Porter Edit where she stated so per- fectly her thoughts on this desire for inclusivity. “The fashion industry has become more open to inclusivity – and to not having just one girl of colour or a minority on the runway,” she said in the interview. “I remember when I started out, I was [often] the only one that fitted that quota, or there’d be two, or none. Now the industry is more accepting. Still, it seems like there is plenty of room to grow in the industry which has long been crit- icised for only one definition of who is worthy of being on the catwalk.” “I want to see a continuation of it and for it not to be just a phase... I want it to be because it’s the right thing to do. [I’m] a little spicy, crazy at times, but a good crazy,” she said and followed this by adding: “I’m just being myself. There’s a saying in Spanish that goes, ‘No soy un billete de cien para caerle bien a todo el mundo.’ It kind of means, ‘I’m not a hundred-dollar bill, so I know not everybody’s going to like me.’”  I’m sorry Joan Smalls, but your killer work ethic, amazing take-action activist and charitable heart, not to mention your stunning fashion accomplishments will in no way make you crazy. You madam, are amongst the rare breed of genuinely kind people in this world who have come to use their celeb- rity for the betterment of the world around them, and I for one thank you! bite model profile Image: on Maxwell