Binx Walton is adamant models don't need millions of followers on social media to be successful. The New York-based model made her catwalk debut at age 16 in a Marc Jacobs runway show and has since gone on to star in major campaigns for Chanel, Balmain, and Coach. While much has been made of fashion stars Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner using online followings to boost their relationships with brands, Binx is certain she can retain some sense of anonymity without losing respect from industry leaders.
Binx Walton uses her Instagram account to share photos from fashion shows
"I'm just hoping through my journey others will see that not everyone has a famous mommy or daddy and one million followers," she told Vogue.com. "Not everyone comes from middle class families. That, for especially ones growing up in inner cities or poverty-stricken areas, where there is a will there is a way."
Binx, real name Leona Anastasia Walton, has around 150,000 followers on Instagram and uses her account to share photos from fashion shows and her hanging out with friends.
In addition, she believes the term "supermodel" isn't as powerful now as it once was, when it was associated with names such as Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington, and she avoids using the label.
Binx believes the term 'supermodel' isn't what is used to be
"It's been incredibly overused and doesn't really hold the same sort of prestige as it used to," the 21-year-old said. "Now it's a term mostly aligned with Instagram models. For instance, in my opinion, Julia Nobis would be a super(model) but probably 80 per cent of readers wouldn't know who that is because she is not on Instagram."
Binx appreciates how Australian star Julia balances out her fashion career, including landing gigs for the likes of Prada and Gucci, with studying for her medical exams to become an emergency room doctor. Furthermore, the offbeat star hopes to see others embrace their quirks and personality in order to truly diversify the business.
"We have a sort of prestige, power, and influence on society, and it would be nice to use it to push the envelope and explore new ideas of what's current, hip, or groovy," she added.
