Three Models Who Meet the Moment with Grit and Grace
By Leah Chernikoff | Photographs by Ethan James Green | Styling by Carlos Nazario
Published: March 20, 2025
Sixty years ago, Richard Avedon guest-edited the iconic April 1965 issue of Harper’s Bazaar. His cover, featuring model Jean “the Shrimp” Shrimpton, captured the spirit of the moment with her striking features and the futuristic Day-Glo fuchsia cutout framing her face. Avedon’s issue was a snapshot of the “offbeat side of Now,” bringing a bold new vision to the fashion world.
This April, Harper’s Bazaar commemorates that groundbreaking edition with an issue focused on the idea of “Now.” Just like Avedon’s vision, this issue celebrates how the definition of beauty has dramatically evolved. The faces of this issue—Alex Consani, Anok Yai, and Paloma Elsesser—represent not just the fashion industry’s current landscape, but also its shifting priorities, embodying a broader, more inclusive notion of beauty than ever before.
Alex Consani: Embracing Authenticity
Alex Consani, a 21-year-old transgender model, radiates both energy and authenticity. Known for her bold presence on TikTok (where she has amassed 4.6 million followers), Consani’s journey to the top of the modeling world hasn’t been without its challenges. Yet, her rise has been a testament to her resilience and sense of self.
“Being on such a major publication, that makes me very hopeful,” she shares. “Our government might not receive our identities or differences as acceptable, but what sells, sells. And seeing people be themselves will always sell.”
In a time when trans rights are under attack, Consani uses her platform to advocate for visibility and the rights of her community. She speaks to the importance of being seen as human, recognizing the responsibility she feels to represent her community authentically. Despite facing societal pushback, she is driven by a sense of purpose: “Even in the face of such negative policies, we’re able to recognize that us as a community can’t be affected. We’re never going to go away,” she says.
Her voice is loud and unapologetic, empowering other marginalized individuals to stand tall in the face of adversity.
Anok Yai: Pushing the Standards of Beauty
Anok Yai’s journey from being an outsider to becoming one of the industry’s leading models reflects the shifting standards of beauty. At 27, Yai recalls how, early in her career, she felt alienated by the industry’s narrow ideals. “I remember being on sets at the beginning of my career and seeing girls who didn’t look like me at all,” she says. “I knew that they were the standard. And I remember, in my head, deciding, ‘I’m going to force myself to be the standard.’”
Her defiance of industry norms was most evident in her embrace of her natural hair, choosing to wear her hair in Afros and cornrows despite the pressure to conform. “It got to a point when a majority of the Black girls had an Afro or cornrows. And then I said, ‘Okay, I did my job.’”
Yai’s decision to wear her natural hair was a powerful act of resistance, creating space for other Black models to assert their identity on the runway. Today, she is one of the most sought-after models in the industry, and her influence goes beyond the runway as she uses her platform to reshape beauty standards.
“Turbulence creates the best art,” she reflects. Yai channels the challenges of her career into her art, continuously exploring new creative outlets, such as her painting, to express her frustrations and aspirations.
Paloma Elsesser: Challenging Industry Norms
For Paloma Elsesser, who has been modeling for over a decade, the fight for size inclusivity remains a deeply personal issue. At 32, she has seen firsthand how the industry has shifted, often backtracking on the progress made toward diversity and inclusivity. Despite the challenges, Elsesser continues to challenge the notion of beauty that has often excluded people of size and different body types.
“There is a profound amount of responsibility and pressure to carry a conversation that’s not my responsibility,” Elsesser acknowledges. “It’s an industry responsibility.” Yet, despite the weight of such expectations, she remains committed to challenging the standard. “I see humanity in the ways that people are different,” she shares. “If we cultivate a culture of curiosity, hopefully things can change.”
Elsesser’s insight is valuable in an era where representation is seen by some as a panacea, but by others as merely a superficial attempt to address deeper issues. “Do I think that representation melts away people’s self-hatred?” she muses. “No. But do I find comfort in knowing that someone might see me in a magazine and feel seen? Yes.”
While Elsesser continues to break barriers as one of the industry’s top curve models, she is deeply aware of the limitations of representation, but remains hopeful that things can and will change with more intentionality and curiosity.
A New Era of Models
The rise of models like Consani, Yai, and Elsesser signals a new era in the fashion world, where diversity is not just a trend but an integral part of the industry’s identity. These three women are not only breaking boundaries but are also reshaping the narrative around beauty, size, race, and gender in a way that’s never been done before.
In their own words, they speak to the changes happening within the fashion industry—and society as a whole. “I like to do as much as I can. I speak publicly about what I believe in,” says Consani. “If you want to hate on me? Do it. Because you know what that means? More clicks, more views, more money for me, babe.”
The fashion industry may still have a long way to go, but the voices and actions of these three women show us that progress is not only possible but already in motion. With their grit, grace, and unapologetic authenticity, Consani, Yai, and Elsesser prove that the beauty standards of today are more diverse, dynamic, and inclusive than ever before.
