English Version | No Comments Issue: Aaron Rose (The Future) Philip

12 Nov 2021
By Ana Murcho

Some women were born to change the world. Aaron Rose Philip is one of those women.

Some women were born to change the world. Some do it more discreetly, with small gestures in their daily lives; others do it more visibly, because they transform these small gestures into magazine covers, cries of hope, shatter boundaries that we thought impossible to break down. Aaron Rose Philip is one of those women. The American model, born in Antigua, is proof that there are no limits to our dreams. Just over three years after starting her career, Philip is one of the most recognizable faces in the industry. Her résumé is as impressive as her willpower. After all, she is the voice of thousands of people who, like her, have waited decades to feel represented and heard. It's just that, by chance, and just by chance, in addition to being confident, sexy and charismatic, Aaron Rose Philip is black, transgender and was born with cerebral palsy. The future, therefore, is hers.

Photography by Arale Reartes. Styling by Jèss Monterde. Model Aaron Rose Philip.
Photography by Arale Reartes. Styling by Jèss Monterde. Model Aaron Rose Philip.

Last year, Aaron Rose Philip (March 15, 2001, Antigua) scored her first major fashion campaign, modeling Moschino’s Fall/Winter 2020 collection. Note: if you haven’t seen it, please take a few moments to surf the web and realize how amazing she looks in those pictures taken by Luigi & Iango. A few months ago, the model also made her debut on the Moschino catwalk, joining Winnie Harlow, Gigi Hadid, Precious Lee and other big names for Jeremy Scott’s Spring/Summer 2022 show in New York. It would be an incredible career achievement for anyone, but Philip is the first black trans disabled woman to achieve such status. In February she appeared on a Collina Strada fashion video, one of NYFW’s darlings, and she has been on the cover of DSCENE Magazine, V Magazine, Metal Magazine, Número Netherlands, S Moda, INDIE, amongst others. She has appeared on countless editorial features for magazines such as i-D, Elle, Dazed, Allure, Paper, starred on campaigns for Dove, Sephora, Nike, and was in Miley Cyrus’ music video Mother’s Daughter, which received more than 100 million views. In 2016, at the age of 14, Aaron Rose Philip published a memoir called This Kid Can Fly: It’s About Ability (Not Disability), detailing her experiences growing up with cerebral palsy. With more than 200 thousand followers on Instagram alone, she has become the voice of a generation.

Growing up, what did you dream of doing as an adult? Was modelling a career you always wanted to pursuit? Growing up, what I dreamed of doing as an adult is much different from what I’m doing now for sure. As a child, I grew up wanting to venture into animation and to be a cartoonist for a long period of my childhood and I was very serious about it. At some point I wanted to create video games and get into coding, too. Right before I entered the fashion industry I was 16 and I was studying photography. I was making my way towards possibly doing photography full-time, but I decided to focus on and commit to starting my modeling career.

How has your relationship with fashion, as a professional, started? My relationship with fashion started professionally when I was 16. I started freelance modeling/modeling without representation at the beginning of my junior year of high school. My goals were to eventually find and be placed with an agency, and then with that move forward onto doing runway, print and campaign work. I had fallen in love with fashion much before I started in it, and my passion greatly informed my drive in having worked so hard while starting out. I really wanted to be a part of this world that I love so much and then I realized that I’ve actually never seen someone like myself be in this world at all - and that’s when I really decided to get serious. No matter what I had to do or how long it would take to figure it out - I just wanted to do something. Modeling is very much storytelling, and bringing creative, fashionable visions & narratives to life - and I have always had a story to tell.

You are an Antiguan-American who is the first Black, transgender and disabled model to be represented by a highly recognized agency. Do you consider that your strong character and personality can be an example for your generation and those to come? I think that my perceived strong character and personality belongs to the people who see me that way, and I’m extremely grateful to be seen like that. I think of myself a lot differently. People decorate me with so many kind words and sentiments because I have done the work that I’ve done, and it always feels so beautiful to be recognized and acknowledged for the labor that is in that work. I’ve never really thought of myself to have a strong personality and character for the sole fact that I’ve been able to do as I’ve done in the industry and because I carry myself in the way that I do. As a woman, I just want to empower myself as much as I can - especially in a world that doesn’t always empower me in the ways that affirm and keep me safe. But I’ve also been strong and loud and boisterous because I haven’t had a choice. I literally had to do all of what I’ve done over the years to be seen, to be heard, to get to where I want to be, and to prove myself - and prove that I can take up space and do well with it, just like my fellow industry peers who are perhaps not black, trans and/or disabled.

Despite your amazing success, I imagine that still exist a couple of particular challenges that you have to deal with every day in your career. Could you give us some examples of those things? I feel very privileged and blessed to have my career/successes in modeling at all, but it is the plain truth that my entire thought process in navigating my career has been a lot about facing different challenges and then going onto problem solving. My biggest challenge is definitely accessibility and managing my experience with a disability - as a person in general and as a physically disabled model who uses a wheelchair in the industry. Disability has, does and affects my career in many ways - and often my chances at even being able to do certain work due to various accessibility issues and lack of accommodation for my needs.

What has been your biggest achievement so far? Is there a particular project you’ve worked on that is your favorite in your career thus far? My biggest achievement so far is debuting as an exclusive at Moschino’s Spring/Summer 2022 show, and having the immense honor of being the first model using a wheelchair to even walk a show of that caliber. That is the moment I’d worked so hard to see happen - walking shows is something I’d wanted to do for so long and had much difficulty in attaining and in trying to converse about with clients. I am so endlessly grateful to Jeremy Scott, Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele & the entire Moschino team for loving, understanding, trusting in & believing in me - enough to make sure everything was set and accessible so that I could seamlessly walk their show. My experience was so special and I can never forget it! 

What are your ambitions when it comes to fashion? My ambitions when it comes to fashion is to do everything and a lot of it alongside people I admire and love. Now that I have debuted on the runway, I really want to be able to continue! I want to walk many shows and full seasons and meet new people, and work with my friends on set. I want to continue doing editorials, campaigns and print work too. I want to collaborate and make friends with other disabled talents, and black trans talent for major opportunities. I just want to continue.

Given your huge platform, how do you want to educate the industry in order to achieve a more balanced and inclusive model? More than anything, I intend for everyone in the industry to get familiar with accessibility and accommodating disabled talents, and the utmost importance of that. I want everyone to know that the conversation of inclusivity and diversity should and does include disability - and should in a tangible, sustainable way.

How would you define your style? Do people with disabilities ask you for advice when it comes to fashion? I’m going to honestly say that I’m at a point where I can no longer define my style! I love to try out and experiment in my personal style with all kinds of looks and aesthetics. I don’t know why, though. I guess I try to treat myself like I treat my art. I just do and wear what makes me happy, and go all out. I just want to feel cool and be pretty. Lots of my followers on social media ask me about my style and a lot happen to be disabled, and really I just tell them to be themselves and to not be afraid to take fashionable risks.

As you were born with cerebral palsy, times of physical protest may be challenging for you. How do you put forth your voice in these times of protest from a distance? Do you consider social media a good way to get in touch with your audience? When I have to speak up and bring up important issues in important times, I have mostly done on social media just by sharing stories and how I feel, why, and how to take part in crucial action towards the issue at hand. I do not consider myself an activist, but I’ve been aware of my platform and reach and have used what I have on social media to start and revive important conversations, and I’ve tried to help as much folks as I can through mutual aid - especially with Exhale, the mutual aid organization I work closely with to secure and affirm mutual aid efforts for Black women and trans folks in New York City.

People call you a trailblazer. What do you consider to be your biggest qualities? Where does your strength comes from? I’m extremely honored that people even consider me to be a trailblazer. If I’m going to say I have a biggest quality, I guess it’s that I do everything with love and I really try to do so at all times. My strength comes from my lived experiences and the progress I’ve made through it all.

Translated from the original on the No Comments issue of Vogue Portugal, from November 2021. Full credits and images on the print version.  

Ana Murcho By Ana Murcho

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