“I am an aspiring model, building my portfolio and getting started in this business.” That is an up-to-date paraphrase by Debbra Ruth. The 25-year old has been on this journey through the modeling industry, finding her place in it.
At 5’6″ and curvy, Debbra does not fit the stereotypical fashion model aesthetic and she does not pretend to. She says her style is “lil afrocentric and classy with a lil bit of funk.” Her captures reveal that she does not shy away from being daring and provocative. She says she is open to all different styles.
I was impressed by the images in Debbra’ portfolio; cultural, liberating, artistic and sensual. And as I reviewed her work I saw, in her eyes, a woman who was pushing past the confines a narrow definition of modeling and the expectations that come with. I saw a young woman who was, carefully, and proudly searching for her own inner diva. Debbra did not let the camera define her. That opinion was too small. Working intimately with the visionaries who shared a common curiosity in the capturing of her beauty, Debbra became a unique aesthetic of harmony and art.
She was the inspiration for some great works. In the absence of a history that appreciates her unique beauty Debbra was daring enough to be one of the women who may be a definitive benchmark in the years to come as we breakdown the limiting constraints of beauty, glamour and art. As she continues her work, I hope she never loses that special drive that makes her a vision above the rest.
She’s so lovely…fantastic portfolio!