"Xue" means snow and "Li" means beautiful, a name that fits so beautifully to a model with albinism. The name was given to her 16 years ago at an orphanage in China. Xueli is changing the way the world sees albinism and is providing a voice for those who look different from the beauty standards of the modeling industry.
Xueli had a difficult start in life. Albinism is still seen as a curse or bad luck in some parts of China. And besides, Xueli gave birth to 1 child during the time of Chinese politics. She was abandoned outside an orphanage when she was a baby, but was later adopted at the age of 3 by a Dutch family.
Xueli started modeling at the age of 11 for a friend of her mother who was a stylist. This started the start of a successful career and various agencies started contacting Xuel.
Albinism, which is a genetic condition, usually involves varying degrees of vision problems. Xueli has approximately 8% to 10% of her viewing. Because of this, she often closes her eyes during photo shoots. She says she does this because "during photo shoots, the light is very strong and if you open your eyes, you will end up squeezing them hard."
The model's most negative experiences range from dropping out as a baby to being expelled from school because "it was different." According to her, these events were serious, but it was also the events that made her stronger.
Xueli has posed for Vogue since the age of 16, her photos have also been displayed in museums and she has been a model for several fashion brands.
In this industry, she says the most important thing is to "keep the love for yourself".
Source: Bright Side
