J’Adore Magazine is slated to drop a triple cover for their 2-year anniversary featuring model Iman, Melyssa Ford and a shared cover with models Esther Baxter & Gloria Velez. During Melyssa Ford’s cover story, she talks about misconceptions and why she considers herself a steel magnolia:
“There are so many women who can’t stand me. They think that I’m the lowest common denominator of what a woman could stand for: a woman who uses her body to gain popularity and is nothing more than that. At the other end of the spectrum, I also come across girls who thought I was the epitome of perfection and wanted to do what I did.” Addressing misconceptions, she adds, “When I come across the opportunity to talk, people are kind of surprised that I have some degree of intelligence.”
I was making my way through this male-dominated business with my partner and manager, Daniella Cobb, and we would be in meetings where we would wrap up a meeting with whomever, and the ensuing question would be, ‘So when are we going to f*ck?’ It was frustrating; my reaction was like, ‘Were you present in this meeting!? Do you understand that that’s not why we’re here?!’ Women have to walk a fine line in this business. You’ve got to act like steel magnolias. You’ve got to be firm and ladylike, and know exactly what you want in order to make it in this business and what you’re talking about. As a woman, you have to take what you want by force, but analyze how that force has to be used.”