How Winnie Harlow Turned Rejection Into a Multimillion-Dollar Empire

When Winnie Harlow enters a runway, there’s a certain stillness that results from focusing attention in one area rather than from silence. Flashes bounce off her skin’s geometric patterns as cameras rise almost automatically, exposing something that fashion once attempted to conceal but now seems ready to celebrate. It’s possible that what people are actually witnessing is an industry subtly correcting itself rather than just a model walking.

She was diagnosed with vitiligo at the age of four and was born in Mississauga, which is just outside of Toronto. The condition made her visible as a child in ways she didn’t request. She was called names by classmates that lingered longer than bruises, causing her to change schools several times before dropping out. It seems as though those early experiences influenced not only her fortitude but also her awareness of how easily attractiveness can turn into exclusion.

At first, her appearance on America’s Next Top Model in 2014 seemed revolutionary. Tyra Banks found her on Instagram, and she went into the competition with both hope and skepticism. However, the fallout was convoluted. Bookings didn’t appear overnight, and agencies didn’t rush to sign her, she later acknowledged. It’s still unclear from watching her early career whether the show helped her get a job or just taught her how firmly things could stay closed.

What came next was more deliberate and slower. campaigns in Europe. smaller editorials. Then larger ones. Companies like Desigual and Diesel started taking chances, or maybe they saw an opportunity. It’s difficult to ignore how fashion frequently presents its changes as daring choices, even though they are occasionally just belated recognitions of what already exists.

When she participated in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2018, she broke through a barrier that had previously seemed insurmountable. She can be seen standing among other models in backstage video, adjusting her wings and blending in with the orderly chaos. But she never really fit in. Even though the industry took a while to acknowledge it, that difference had turned into her advantage.

One gets the impression that Harlow recognized early on that visibility could turn into money.

Her influence went beyond just fashion. TV competition judging, movie roles, and music videos. Every appearance adds a new dimension to a career that at first lacked legitimacy. The more intriguing change, however, came subtly in 2022 when she introduced her sunscreen line, Cay Skin.

Experience gave rise to the concept. Sunscreen frequently left a white cast on her skin during photo shoots, requiring her to choose between appearance and protection. However, investors weren’t immediately persuaded. She was repeatedly turned down for raising money. The story seems familiar at that point. It appears that investors are more likely to believe in entrepreneurs after they have achieved success than they are before.

She eventually raised more than $6 million.

It’s difficult to overlook how her position evolved at that precise moment—from face to decision-maker, from model to founder. The distinction is significant, particularly in a field where models are frequently viewed more as transient symbols than as permanent creators. She seemed to have desired more than just recognition.

She has also changed how she feels about being in the spotlight. She used to be found on social media, but now she controls the platform. Ten million people follow her, observing not only her work but also her daily activities, reflections, and life. There are posts that seem well-curated. Others feel surprisingly open. It’s possible that the job now includes maintaining both versions.

Alongside her ascent, fashion has evolved as well. Previously portrayed as disruptive, diversity is now a selling point. Differentiation is proudly featured in campaigns, but occasionally it seems like the celebration comes only after profitability. Beneath the success of Harlow’s career, there has always been a silent question: would the industry have welcomed her if consumers hadn’t done so first?

Still, she keeps on going.

Her engagement to NBA player Kyle Kuzma combined fashion, sports, and celebrity into a well-known contemporary story, adding yet another level of public interest. She appears to defy being merely defined by association, though, even there. Her advocacy, modeling, and business continue to be distinct but intertwined strands.

Her perseverance is instructive in some way.

Not all of the barriers fell down at once. Not all rejections resulted in opportunities. Some people just remained rejected. However, momentum changed over time, increasing slowly and almost silently.