Winnie Harlow, who suffers from skin condition Vitiligo, shot to fame after appearing in America's Next Top Model, and has gone on to front campaigns for brand's like Desiguel and star in Ashish's Spring Summer 2015 show. In the process she's also gathered a huge following of fans on social media, who are inspired by how she's leading the way in the modelling arena for girls who don't conform to stereotypical expectations of beauty.
In tribute to their idol, some of Winnie's fans have gone as far as to post photos of themselves recreating the pigmentation of her skin with makeup. Vitiligo means that since the age of four, Winnie - who was born Chantelle Young-Brown - has white patches on her skin.
The photos from her fans have been dubbed an act of blackface by some and labelled as perpetuating cultural appropriation. However, Winnie has jumped to their defence in a series of Instagram posts [below], dispelling this claims and suggesting that in fact, the photos are an act of love, not a "hate crime."
"In a time when so much negative is happening, please don't accuse those who are showing love and appreciation, of being hateful. It is very clear to me when someone is showing love and I appreciate these people recreating, loving and broadcasting something to the world that once upon a time I cried myself to sleep over #1LOVE," she wrote on 23 August.
After experiencing a backlash to her comments, Winnie posted a further illustration of her views and reiterated her argument, writing: "The point here is Not to make it seem that Blackface is okay, or act like our people haven't gone through hell and back to then have things from our culture be stolen. #BlackLivesMatter This is Very true. But This situation has nothing to do with blacks or whites. All races have recreated the pattern of my skin and when they did it, it was complimented and glorified. This is Not appropriation, go look up the definition real quick!
"And it barely has anything to do with Vitiligo to be honest. People bash my fans who get my face tattooed on their bodies. It's not actually about me or anyone else. It's about a feeling I've created, and what I represent to whoever draws me, tattoos me or recreates my look (regardless of race!). It's about the hope the pattern of my skin represents to THEM, it's You who places a negative on it. It's the representation of not being afraid to be proud of who you are not just a "disease" as you so disablingly call it.
"I know my history. If you know ANY black Canadian you would know we all know our roots and are proud of where we're originally from. But we also don't live in the past. We are in the present creating a new future and even if it's a slow progression we're having, why can't we continue? Our ancestors didn't go through bullshit their whole lives for us to sit here and stay bitter or hoard our culture.
"The fight was never to Keep us segregated. It was to allow us to come together. So while a Lot of things in this world are wrong (and No I don't support "Blackface"), a lot of things, including many intentions, are pure. Use common sense (and the definition...) to know the difference of appreciation and appropriation. Alright mi done talk!! Unno cyan gwan now and flip my words however u please." [sic]