From “Cow” to Cover Supermodel, a Girl Was Heavily Teased Because of Her Vitiligo but Made It to the Top in Life / Bright Side

Winnie Harlow, a Canadian supermodel, turned her struggles into success. Born Chantelle Brown-Young, she has vitiligo, a skin condition that causes patches of her skin to lose color. Growing up, she was teased nonstop, which got so bad she had to leave high school.

But instead of letting it break her, Winnie leaned into what made her different. She started sharing her story online, and things really took off when she joined America’s Next Top Model in 2014. Her confidence and unique look grabbed everyone’s attention and her story became an inspiration for people, who struggle with their insecurities. Here’s how Winnie Harlow proved that being different equals being cool.

Winnie Harlow had a very tough childhood, all because of her vitiligo.

Canadian model Winnie Harlow, born Chantelle Brown-Young, faced a tough childhood. Diagnosed with vitiligo at just four years old, she grew up with colorless patches on her skin due to the condition.

Her unique appearance made her a target for relentless teasing at school, where classmates cruelly called her names like “cow” and “zebra.” Reflecting on those painful years, Harlow shared, “The bullying was so bad that I was forced to drop out and be homeschooled.”

Despite those challenges, Winnie has since risen above, becoming a global icon for embracing individuality and redefining beauty standards.

Now, Winnie Harlow has over 10 million Instagram followers, has been the face of the Spanish fashion brand Desigual, and worked with renowned fashion photographer Nick Knight—known for shooting icons like Kate Moss, Lady Gaga, and Kanye West.

From being ostracized as a child to becoming a global “it” girl, Harlow’s journey is nothing short of incredible.

Winnie Harlow became a model, unexpectedly even for herself.

In one of her interviews, Winnie explained that she had never thought she could become a model growing up. She confessed that her dream was actually to be an entertainment journalist.

The woman started pursuing modeling after she happened to have an interview with a photographer named Shannon Boodram, and she encouraged Winnie to continue pushing. From there, Winnie Harlow started to build herself up by leveraging social media.

When America’s Next Top Model was casting for the new season, she turned to all her fans online with one request – to tag Tyra Banks so she could see Winnie’s photos – and they eagerly did it for her. Winnie’s little sister started a Facebook page for her, and one of the producers from the show sent her a message showing their interest.

Winnie admitted that initially she didn’t believe it, but the young woman followed through and ended up being on the show for season 21. After Tyra gave a young lady the opportunity, Winnie Harlow was sure it was her time.

Winnie Harlow became famous not only in fashion world.

Today, Winnie Harlow is not just a fashion icon, but also an entrepreneur, founder of a skincare brand, and a trailblazer for the vitiligo community.

From strutting down Victoria’s Secret runways to gracing countless magazine covers, Winnie’s done it all—and then some. She even launched her own beauty brand, Cay Skin, which celebrates healthy, radiant skin for everyone.

Her latest move? Breaking into the gaming world in the most iconic way possible. Winnie has teamed up with The Sims 4—yes, the beloved life-simulation game—to introduce a long-awaited vitiligo skin feature in character creation. It’s a game-changing collaboration, literally and figuratively, and one that’s sure to inspire millions.

Winnie shared how important it is to be represented while being different.

In one of her interviews, Winnie was talking about being represented in the gaming industry. And she confessed, “I really worked for the little Winnie, who’d never seen herself represented. And to have The Sims, a game that I used to play as a little girl, want me to be a part of this and making such a big change to allow everybody to feel represented was a real big honor.”

“There’s no reason why there shouldn’t be inclusivity. If we can have so much inclusivity in real life, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t have it in fantasy,” Winnie Harlow says, reflecting on her groundbreaking collaboration with The Sims 4.

Harlow also opened up about a recurring challenge in her career, “One of the challenges that I’ve faced so much in my career is fighting against becoming a token or being a fad,” she shared. “I think whenever something new comes to the human eye, we tend to treat it as its own separate box. And I feel like that’s how I was viewed for a very long time—as a type of model, rather than just being a human being like everybody else.”

Her partnership with The Sims carries significant weight for the gaming world, proving that skin positivity and representation should be front and center—not an afterthought—for developers. By introducing a vitiligo skin option, Winnie is helping pave the way for more inclusive and thoughtful virtual spaces.

Winnie Harlow has become an inspiration for many people, and fans tirelessly show their admiration under her posts.

So many people visit Winnie Harlow’s Instagram page, and the majority of comments under her posts are the words of love and admiration.

One of her posts amassed over 900,000 likes, and people were radiating love while commenting it.

One person wrote, “They need to make a cartoon about you! Little girls everywhere should see all this beauty and be inspired to feel as confident as you!”

Another person said, “You embody natural & effortless beauty – You are ethereal!”

One more fan added, “Your mom should’ve named you ART. You’re a walking Art piece.”

When some people tried to imitate Winnie’s condition, and posted their looks on Instagram, Winnie appreciated it. She said, “My response to this is probably not what a lot of people want, but here it goes: every time someone wants fuller lips, or a bigger bum, or curly hair, or braids does Not mean our culture is being stolen. 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.”

And here’s a model with a rare genetic condition, who was able to break all stereotypes and fight the beauty standards in no time.