Back in 2012, Miroslava Duma was asked whether or not she thought it was “normal” for women’s fashion to be modeled by men like Bryanboy and Andrej Pejic (now Andreja). “Honestly, I dislike that,” said Miroslava. “Because somewhere, on TV or in a magazine, a little boy could see it and that boy wouldn’t understand it correctly, wouldn’t react correctly. And I think a certain kind of censorship and refined culture is needed here.”
Miroslava’s comments were captured in a video, which has reemerged following the recent controversy over a racist note sent to her by designer Ulyana Sergeenko, which Miroslava posted on her Instagram account a few days ago.
Bryanboy posted his response to the video on Instagram two days ago saying, “Racism and bigotry is never cool. 😢 I guess I’m too weird… btw I just saw this today on Twitter. So I’m also as shocked as you guys are!!!!”
Now Andreja Pejic is weighing in, posting her own statement about the video on her Instagram account. “I woke up to a video yesterday, where a woman by the name of Miroslava Duma said some pretty ugly things about @bryanboycom and me during a conference,” Andreja wrote. “I wont say it wasn’t hurtful. However instead of focusing on this blatant ignorance, I couldn’t help but realize the contrast between the state of our business today in comparison to 2012, the yr of this video. Fashion hasn’t always celebrated, to quote @miraduma ‘people like us.’
“Today I can say I’ve walked for iconic designers like @MarcJacobs and even landed on pages of American Vogue as none other than myself. However for a long time I didn’t believe that I was deserving of a firm place in fashion. I remember when I was one of only two people representing a specific ‘trend’ that many people would now place under the title ‘gender diversity in the fashion space.’
“Circa 2010 my friend @LeaT and I found International media attention on the one hand and faced ignorance and scorn on the other. Today we are part of a movement of unique talents that are smashing the old categories that once stood and proudly displaying a spectrum of age/color/gender/class. @miraduma ‘s hopes that ‘this trend fizzles out quickly’ have not been realized. I am thankful I got to stick around! I understand that some sort of apology has been issued and I do think people should be given the chance to grow, change, overcome their ignorance.
“To my sisters, bros and non binary siblings who don’t have the resources to fight back, to change schools, pay for medical care and the support of thousands of followers and who experience cruelty directed at them only because they have the guts to follow their hearts and minds in the hope of an honest, happy life please remember, chin up ALWAYS! Evolution is no stranger to our cause and one day we’ll see revolution.”
Very well put, Andreja.
