Growing up without parents can be a challenging experience that often leaves a person feeling a sense of resentment. Xueli Abbing, a 16-year-old girl from China, was abandoned at birth by her parents and left at the door of an orphanage. The staff at the orphanage named her ‘Xue,’ meaning snow, and ‘Li,’ meaning beautiful, due to her albinism, a genetic condition that leads to reduced pigment melanin and causes pale skin, hair, and eyes. Fortunately, a loving family in the Netherlands adopted her and provided her with a supportive environment.
At the age of 11, Xueli was approached by a designer in Hong Kong to model for a shoot aimed at showcasing different types of beauty. The campaign was called ‘perfect imperfections,’ and she was also invited to participate in a fashion show in Hong Kong. The experience was amazing for her and opened doors for her in the fashion industry.
Unfortunately, people with albinism are often subjected to discrimination and violence in various parts of the world. There is a false belief that their bones have medicinal properties, and some people even hunt them. Abbing acknowledges that she was fortunate only to be abandoned.
Despite her success as a model, Abbing is not pleased when models with albinism are used as props to depict angels or ghosts. It makes her sad, and she hopes that society will learn to accept and appreciate people with albinism for who they are. She wants to prove the world wrong and show that albinism does not define her or limit her potential.
Xueli Abbing’s experience in the fashion industry has not always been smooth sailing. However, she was fortunate enough to work with a photographer from London who treated her like any other model, resulting in a stunning photoshoot. The photo shoot was so remarkable that one of the images was even sold to Vogue Italia for its June 2019 issue. At the time, Xueli was unaware of how significant Vogue Italia was, and it took her some time to understand why people were so excited about it.
As a model, Xueli faces several obstacles, including her 8 to 10% vision, which makes looking directly at camera flashes painful. However, she is determined to represent people like her, who are not conventionally beautiful, and to prove that beauty comes in all forms.
Xueli acknowledges that there has been an improvement in representation in the media of people with disabilities or differences, but it should be the norm. In an interview, she said, “Maybe because I cannot see everything properly, I focus more on people’s voices and what they have to say. So, their inner beauty is more important to me.”
Xueli Abbing aspires to leverage her career in modeling as a platform to enlighten and sensitize people about albinism, dispelling the common misconception that it’s a curse but a genetic disorder. She hopes to effect change in the world and shift people’s attitudes towards albinism. Furthermore, she highlights the importance of addressing individuals with albinism as “a person with albinism” instead of referring to them as “an albino,” as the latter implies that their identity is solely defined by their condition.
Xueli’s aspirations extend beyond the fashion industry. She hopes to make a change in the world and prevent children with albinism from being murdered due to superstitions. She is determined to make a difference and inspire and educate people worldwide. We wish Xueli Abbing the best of luck in her journey and are confident that she will achieve her dreams.