#NYFW2018: Meet the women redefining modeling | The Stream

For designers, models, and fashionistas alike, New York Fashion Week is the pinnacle of the season. It comes with the excitement of seeing new faces strut down the catwalk and witnessing the debut collections of emerging designers.

But, this year, there is substantial buzz beyond the runway, thanks in part to Mari Malek, Grace Mahary, Halima Aden and Jillian Mercado. These three women are redefining what it means to be a fashion model. Malek, Mahary, Aden and Mercado are using their personal brands to bring attention to causes they care passionately about. Particularly, access to education, renewable energy, and disability rights.

Their ability to move between the modeling and activism worlds is partly due to a shift in the fashion community. Now, more than ever, there is an emphasis on not only creating goods, but doing good. But is this awakening a moment or a movement? Just a trend? We pose that question to Malek, Mahary, Aden and Mercado when they join The Stream to discuss fashion activism.

Join the conversation:

#aljazeeraenglish

[tashaluna]

This models are inspiring .Sudan, Somali, lation and Erithriea .giving back to the society and making changes.

[financialrevolution]

Wow Somali girl is here hi i am from Somalia, mogadishu

[biplav]

How are they redifining shit? They are all pretty by putting a lot of makeup. If they were ugly and a model then they would be different.

[CybertronGangsta]

The girls on this show look like a group of black girls in my high school class who are angry cos they don't win anything, so they try to attack the system.

[eekrfknowldg]

How could any Muslim girl realistically be a western fashion model in the west and not expect problems, when things not much better in the east these days! Obviously Indian models lol but also middle eastern Turkish north and sub Sahara Africa & even the commie far east :- models everywhere r just being objectified! So bad even Muslim man gotta watch it 2 lol

[naturalparis]

First Example:
According to the rule of: Be moulded by God-given ethics, which is one of the principles of the line of prophethood concerning individual life, there is the instruction: "Be distinguished by God-given morals and turn towards God Almighty with humility recognizing your impotence, poverty, and defectiveness, and so be a slave in His presence." Whereas, the self-seeking rule of philosophy, "Try to imitate the Necessarily Existent One" is mankind's aim for perfection. No, indeed, the essence of humanity has been kneaded with infinite impotence, weakness, poverty, and need, while the essence of the Necessarily Existent One is infinitely omnipotent, powerful, self-sufficient, and without need.
Second Example:
Among the principles of the line of prophethood concerning social life are those of mutual assistance, magnanimity, and generosity. These have been harnessed for the help and assistance of all things from the sun and moon down to even plants. For the assistance of animals, for example, and the help of animals for human beings, and even that of particles of food for the cells of the body. Whereas, among the principles of the line of philosophy concerning social life is that of conflict, which springs from the misuse of their inborn dispositions by a number of tyrants, brutish men, and savage beasts. Indeed, they have accepted this principle at so fundamental a level and at such a general one that they have idiotically declared: "Life is a conflict."
Third Example:
One of the valuable results and exalted principles of the line of prophethood concerning Divine unity is: "If a thing has unity, it must proceed from only one." That is, "Since each thing in itself and all things collectively have unity, they therefore must be the creation of one single being." Whereas, one of the beliefs of ancient philosophy is: "From one, one proceeds." That is, "From one person, only one single thing can proceed. Everything else proceeds from him by means of intermediaries."
Words - 564
From "Risale-i Nur Collection"