When the first international male model with albinism came face to face with three other models with distinctive physical features, he harnessed the moment to send a powerful message.
Shaun Ross, who was born with albinism, recently met at an event with a number of fellow rising stars with whom he has quite a bit in common – and decided to document the moment on Instagram.
A photo shared to the 26-year-old model’s page sees Shaun joined by three other models: Ralph Souffrant, Mekhi Lucky and Quis Crawford.
Boys on tour: Shaun Ross (center) has gone viral with this photo alongside other models Ralph Souffrant (right), Mekhi Lucky (left) and Quis Crawford (back)
Putting it out there: Shaun, who is the first international male model with albinism, used the opportunity to send a powerful message
Making his point: Bronx native Shaun, 26, has walked for dozens of designers and graced the pages of Vogue, GQ, i-D Magazine and more
Ralph, 22, from Haiti, is known for his deeply freckled skin, which he gained as a result of a skin condition similar to vitiligo.
Bullied as a child over his looks, Ralph has turned his unique skin into an asset, with campaigns for the likes of Diesel and Yeezy under his belt.
To Shaun’s right is Mekhi Lucky, who is best known for the nickname ‘prison bae’ he was given after social media became enraptured by his unique looks displayed in a 2016 mugshot.
The young man, who was 20 at the time the photo was taken, has heterochromia, which means his eyes are two different colors – one a bright blue, and the other dark brown.
Tip top: Shaun is pictured in New York at the Academy of Art University fashion show in 2015
Joining in: Also in the photo is Mekhi Lucky, who came to fame after this 2016 mugshot displaying his mesmerizing eyes went viral
Moving on up: Mekhi was signed to a modeling contract by St. Claire Modeling
Right and left: Mekhi is pictured with another member of the St. Claire Modeling roster, Quis Crawford
Soon after the mugshot hit the internet, Mekhi was signed to a contract with St. Claire Modeling.
Peeking over Mekhi’s head in Shaun’s Instagram photo is Quis Crawford, another member of the St. Claire Modeling roster, who has vitiligo.
In the caption for the photo, Shaun wrote: ‘I remember when I entered the modeling industry and I was alone I did not believe that I could make such an impact but these beautiful men are just as courageous as me and they will continue to show the world how comfortable they are in their skin #inmyskiniwin #blackboymagic.’
The other models similarly shared the image on their own pages, with Ralph writing: ‘Beauty comes in every color, flavor, sound, height, shade, name & age.’
Handsome: Haitian model Ralph Souffrant is known for his freckled skin, which is the result of a skin condition similar to vitiligo
Going big: Ralph was bullied for his looks as a kid, but has since turned them into an asset
Rising star: Quis Crawford, who has vitiligo, also featured in Shaun’s viral photo
A new twist: Ralph later shared this artwork depicting the models as superheroes
‘I used to pray for times like this, to shine like this,’ wrote Quis on his own post.
Ralph later followed up the photo with an artwork featuring the four models as superheroes – each having his own super power such as ‘x-ray vision’ for Quis and ‘shoots ice rays’ for Mekhi.
In just one week, the photo has gained around 90,000 likes and attracted plenty of praise from users who gushed over the handsome foursome.
‘The most beautiful variety the human race has to offer. You are all works of art,’ wrote one user, while another declared the photo: ‘The most stunning, unique representation of beauty and strength in the world.’