Xueli Abbing’s journey began when she was left at an orphanage as a baby, unaware that she would one day grace the pages of Vogue as a model. After navigating some unexpected twists in her life, she achieved international modeling success by the age of 16. Life can take you to surprising places, and you never know how things will unfold.
The orphanage gave her the name Xue, meaning “snow,” and Li, meaning “beautiful.” She was left at the orphanage, possibly due to her appearance or the implications of China’s one-child policy. However, the caregivers at the orphanage cherished her. Before long, a family from the Netherlands welcomed her into their home.
Xueli’s Rise to Vogue
In some societies, albinism is viewed negatively, often associated with fear or superstition. Tragically, in certain African nations, children born with albinism face horrific fates, as they are sometimes killed for their body parts, which are mistakenly believed to have magical or medicinal properties.
Witch doctors use their bones to make medicines as people believe these can cure diseases but of course this is not true, these beliefs are myths. I’m lucky I was only abandoned.Xueli – BBC
At the age of 11, Xueli began her modeling journey. Her mother reached out to a designer friend who was leading a campaign titled “perfect imperfections,” believing that Xueli would be an ideal fit.
After that, I was invited on a couple of photo shoots and one of them was for Brock Elbank at his studio in London. He published my portrait on Instagram, and Zebedee Talent modelling agency got in touch. They asked if I wanted to join them in their mission to get people with disabilities represented in the fashion industry.Xueli – BBC
One of the pictures Brock shot of me was featured in Vogue Italia’s June 2019 edition. The cover had Lana del Rey on it. I didn’t know what an important magazine it was. And, it took me a while to realise why people got so excited about it.Xueli – BBC
Xueli’s journey from Vogue to becoming an international model has been exciting. She loved collaborating with the photographers, who gave her the freedom to express her creativity and shape her own image. With so many stereotypes in the industry, she aimed to break the mold and showcase something unique.
There are still models who are like eight foot two and skinny. But now people with disabilities or differences are featured more in the media and this is great – but it should be normal. Models with albinism often get stereotyped in shoots to depict angels or ghosts and it makes me sad. Especially because it perpetuates those beliefs that endanger the lives of children with albinism in countries such as Tanzania and Malawi.Xueli – BBC
Xueli’s journey is truly inspiring, transforming from an abandoned child in an orphanage to an international model. Her time with Vogue was just the beginning of her incredible career. In addition to gracing the pages of Vogue Italia, Xueli has taken part in numerous fashion shoots, walked the runway, and showcased Kurt Geiger accessories.
Be sure to visit her Instagram to see more of her fantastic work!
