what is models that eat?
Hi! I’m Phoebe, but you can call me Pojo. I started modeling when I signed to an agency in NYC at 13 years old. models that eat began as an Instagram account I created in 2016 to document the food my friends and I would eat between castings during Fashion Week. Throughout my career, I found it funny how many people would make remarks about my body – and what I put into it. I wondered, why does everyone think that models don’t eat? Is it because we don’t? I mean, I eat…so what’s going on?
As I grew into the fashion industry and my account gained viewership, I realized that my carefree and relaxed mentality around food and body image wasn’t as common as I thought it was. It came to my attention that everybody around me had complicated journeys with food, whether they were models, people working in fashion, or people admiring my peers in this world. I also began to recognize how my relationship with my body wasn’t as typical as I initially thought it was!
It took a lot of soul-searching for me to realize that I was extremely passionate about the issues in our space regarding diet, body image, and overall wellness. It is unfair how these topics are conveniently being neglected in the fashion industry, to perpetuate this veil of glamorization over our careers. It is detrimental to the models subjected to unsustainable beauty standards, and the lack of authentic discussion is negatively affecting the consumer base of the content we create. How are we supposed to interpret and consume media mindfully when we are being fed false narratives?
After a long period of pondering, my impulsive food account grew into something so much bigger. It had transformed into a safe space on the internet for these neglected questions. models that eat utilizes mixed media to share models' and public figures' personalities and stories, all over the comfort of food. The YouTube channel is now a hub for new discussions with food-related videos, including a documentary series entitled "Dine n Dash" where models explain their relationships with food over a meal at their restaurant of choice. On top of the video content, I create behind-the-scenes 35mm film coverage of photoshoots, campaigns, and social events.
I named the platform "models that eat" rather than "models who eat", as an acknowledgment of the typical objectification of fashion models, as well as many media personalities that contribute to the page.
models that eat is a collaborative platform, and I'm always looking to involve the community! I can be reached at pojo@modelsthateat.com