“At the heart of America the Beautiful is Gerren Taylor, a teen model who got labeled “obese” by the fashion industry at age 14 — as a 6-foot size 4.
With a resume that includes modeling for international designers such as Roberto Cavalli, Richard Tyler, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY, Nicole Miller and Catherine Malandrino, Gerren went head to head with an industry obsessed with thinness.
She was measured in London with 96-centimeter (37.8 inches) hips and told she had to be 90 centimeters (35.4 inches) or under to model in Paris. (Then as now, she weighs 130 pounds.) Even Gerren’s mountains of supermodel media coverage — including appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Entertainment Tonight” and “Extra” — couldn’t get her past the power of the tape measure.”
- via The Los Angeles Times
I admit it, sometimes I’ll catch an episode College Hill Baldwin Hills, but because things seem so staged on that show, it never occurred to me that Gerren could possibly be a real working model… But if she is a real model, why is she slumming it up on BET?
That question and a couple of others I hadn’t thought to ask are covered in the documentary America The Beautiful, which follows the rise and fall of Taylor, while examining the beauty industry and it’s impact on body image. It also features interviews with Jessica Simpson, Anthony Kiedis, Eve Ensler and others.
Not surprisingly, the fashion industry turned it’s nose up at Gerren once she became a real women’s size despite ringing endorsements from the Queen of North America, Oprah. Gerren is now pursuing her passion for acting (as in Baldwin Hills), which makes sense considering as a baby she made her debut as Denzel Washington’s daughter in Ricochet.
The truly disappointing aspect of Gerren’s career is that presently she’s looked at as a ‘has-been’ in the fashion industry, and considering her young age, that’s a bit scary. At 17, you really shouldn’t have ‘been’ in the first place.
Tags: Baldwin Hills, BET, Gerren Taylor
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