I don't feel guilty about any of my pleasures.
Adwoa Aboah
There are times when you're being judged on your appearance and you're not feeling your best self. It hurts, but as I always say, I try and be 100 percent myself all the time. So if I'm rejected, it just hurts that little bit less because at least I was myself.
Diversity can't be a fashionable thing: it should be here to stay.
I really, really need community.
The bit that I've always loved about modeling is show season: the hype, the chaos, the calm just before you walk out. It's your moment - especially when there's no one before you.
One day at a time. I live by that.
In the digital age, there is a new rule book for romance.
The worst thing to do when I'm feeling insecure or a bit vulnerable is to scroll through Instagram. You only show when life is good on social media. Everyone looks happy all the time.
I've been lucky enough to have been given a platform through modeling, so now I can use it as an activist.
I wear trainers everywhere. Weddings, parties, definitely red carpets and fashion events. It's bad. And listen, I love shoes. I love high heels. But I buy trainers all the time.
I can't deal with waking up and being sad.
I would like to give acting a go. I studied it for a long time; I just want to make sure when I do it I am able to put in as much effort as I do to modeling.
I don't mean to sound cocky, but I just wear what I like and don't try to focus too much on trends.
I came from a privileged background, which I am entirely grateful for, but it played a part in my feeling that I couldn't complain about my own emotions.
I know what my causes are. And I care about them, so I'd rather get out there and talk about them than just play it safe.
'Vogue' should be about giving a voice to all different cultures.
In 2017, there is more than one way to be beautiful and more than one way to be cool. And when you put an image on the cover of 'Vogue,' that means something that goes beyond fashion.
2014 was a terrible year for me. I got a lot of help from psychiatrists, doctors, and my family, but also from group therapy. I met people from so many different backgrounds, and we were all able to relate to each other. It felt like a real community, and I stole that concept for Gurls Talk.
It's really difficult seeing your role model or your parent cry.
A sexy selfie can be incredibly empowering - but remember that, while a Snapchat message might expire, nothing on the Internet truly disappears.
No one had ever educated me on mental health. I really didn't understand why I would be feeling high on life, and everything was brilliant, and then suddenly I would be crashing into a deep hole.
I always believed that I had to pretend to be happy. But what I've learned is that it doesn't matter what race or class or demographic you come from. I truly believe that sadness is relative.
It has to be something people prioritize - it should be the number-one priority: representing all types of beauty, all types of shapes and sizes.
I have a very bad memory. So I would like a chat bot to just remind me of everything I forget. I spend my entire life on Google trying to remember stuff.
I don't think the people in power realize how detrimental it can be to a way a girl looks at herself if she flips through a magazine and only sees one type of woman.
I went to a school where the girls that were found attractive were the complete opposite to me. I judged my worth on how many boyfriends everyone had, and I wanted to jump out of my skin every second of every day.
I've always been obsessed with fashion.
Fear has run rampant amongst our community of models. Far too many young models, both women and men, are mistreated and put at risk.
How can our industry better represent the reality of our larger community and provide our next generation a proper example of what they see around them every single day? This representation should also look beyond race and include those of all body types, religion, sexuality, and gender identification.
In the digital age, there are a million and one ways to find out what someone you fancy is doing - but remember, they can see when you're watching their Instagram stories. If you fall deep into a hole of snooping, resist flicking through the digital diaries of their exes, or at least learn to cover your tracks.
I wish I could be good at gymnastics.
Until I was about 14, I was so shy.
I spent so long trying to be other people, and it made me really deeply unhappy.
I was privileged in terms of where I grew up, and I come from a very loving, supportive household. But when I began to go off the rails at boarding school, my behaviour wasn't a result of an upbringing but more something that was going on within me.
Boarding school was a really pivotal moment. Before I went there, I was so happy. I'm not sure I was ready for it. I was only 13. My parents didn't send me away; it was my choice as well. But I definitely shouldn't have stayed for five years.
Marc Jacobs Beauty is really exciting for me; when I was at school, I would always struggle to find make-up that suited my skin tone, and I certainly wouldn't find anything from a luxury brand. I'm glad that girls don't have that problem anymore.
In private school, I definitely judged myself against the lighter-skinned girls. I wanted to have different hair. I wanted to fit in. I thought that was more beautiful.
I knew that modeling could open doors, and I would be able to travel and forge my own path. Being able to support yourself is amazing, and I think that was one of the things that appealed to me, but I didn't want to be in front of the camera at first.
I'm a Taurus; I need a home.
Because I would be around so many people in the fashion industry, there's this kind of dialogue. People would always say, 'Oh your daughter is so beautiful. Is she a model?' And it was so strange for me to hear because I felt so not beautiful inside.
I remember thinking I couldn't be bothered to feel any emotions any more.
I forget about myself and tend to concentrate too much on others.
With modeling, social media is such a humungous part of it now. You get jobs because of the amount of followers you have.
The most amazing thing for me is when I open up a magazine and I see someone I could be friends with and looks, maybe, slightly like me. And I think that's the same with young girls. Because there needs to be diversity.
I always think, what I would have thought of something like Gurls Talk would have come into my school? Or how would I have felt if I'd heard there was this one-day festival happening in London? I think I'd have definitely gone, I started Gurls Talk because it was everything that I needed at school.
What drew me to modeling was this idea of being independent.
I never would have dreamt in a million years that I would have young girls coming up to me at Glastonbury or on the streets of L.A., New York, London, and telling me how much GurlsTalk or seeing my picture in a magazine means to them, as a woman of colour.
One of my aunties inspires me beause of how easily she shows her emotions, and she isn't ever afraid to cry. My mum, for her work ethic - she might not show her emotions in public very much, but she's a total power woman. My grandma, who watched four of her children die before her, she's a powerhouse.
I think if you don't like being in your skin, it doesn't matter how many times people say you're beautiful, how many jobs you get, or whatever it is - I just didn't want to be Adwoa.
I'm not the tallest or the thinnest - and I think being in shows is a major part of when I stopped second-guessing myself.
