German model Ilka Bruhl, 26, is changing the landscape of what beauty means in the current modeling industry. She was born with a facial cleft, which gave her many health issues. But, many surgeries later, the uniquely beautiful, sumptuously freckled model has turned the tables on what standards of beauty in mainstream modeling can mean.

We've come a long way, baby

A little progress has been made in the portrayal of what female beauty is in the showbiz and modeling world, but we still do have a long way to go. Models like Ilka Bruhl give hope to the notion that, in her words, "everyone is beautiful," and we don't need to adhere to impossible beauty standards anymore, even in mainstream media.

One only has to look at the comments on Bruhl's website, articles on her, and her modeling campaign, to gain hope for beauty in humanity. Most of the comments refer to how unusually beautiful, gorgeous, and just plain lovely she looks to all who see her. The odd angles of her facial structure give her an ethereal, faerie-type look which is breathtaking and, yes, beautiful.

Beauty contains multitudes

The fashion and modeling industry have long been difficult, and has presented a myriad of problems for women in current culture: From celebrating too-thin looks and not being friendly to non-white skin tones, to outright oppression and sexual exploitation, the modeling industry, in the wake of the #metoo movement, has garnered a lot of flak (not necessarily all unfounded, either).

But there have been so many steps taken by various organizations and individuals to try and change that. Dove began their many campaigns for all body type celebration, Cover Girl began allowing males to be cover "girls" and plus sizes of all types are beginning to be seen everywhere from the fashion lines in stores to the haute couture catwalks.

All the variety of beauty of humans in real life is just now starting to be celebrated and put up as examples for the rest of us, instead of the old school all-skinny, all-white, all-not-real models of yesteryear.

Bruhl is an amazing example of what even mainstream beauty industries can be, and what they can show to all of us as examples of what beauty actually means.

Good on Bruhl for her courage in not only coming through all her health issues, but for putting her gorgeous self out there for us all to admire, celebrate, and even emulate, in all of the flaws that make us our own beautiful selves.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED