Salem Mitchell | |
---|---|
Born | San Diego, CA, US | May 25, 1998
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Model |
Years active | 2017-present |
Modeling information | |
Height | 5 ft 6.5 in (169 cm) |
Hair color | Brown |
Eye color | Brown |
Agency | LA Models |
Website | www |
Salem Mitchell (born 1998)[1] is an American model. She is known for her numerous facial freckles. Mitchell was discovered through Instagram and is currently signed to Elite Model Management.[2]
Mitchell was born and raised in San Diego, California and is African American.[1][2] Her grandmother is Filipino.[3] She studied dance at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and graduated in 2016.[1][2] After high school she enrolled at San Diego State University to study business marketing.[4]
Mitchell amassed a large following through Instagram.[5] One day Mitchell posted a photo of herself on Twitter next to a bruised banana in response to trolls who had compared her freckles to the overripe fruit.[1] After the photo went viral, Paper Magazine writer Maiya Toledano contacted Mitchell through Instagram and invited her to do a feature shoot.[2] Mitchell later signed to Ford Models.[2]
Mitchell has appeared in music videos for artists such as SZA and Cardi B.[4] She has worked with retailers including GAP, Converse, and SavagexFenty.[1][6] Her first cover was for Numéro Berlin.[2] She was asked by Beyoncé to model official apparel related to Lemonade.[7]
Mitchell has been the target of cyberbullying for her freckles and was once called "ghetto" by internet commenters.[1] A response she wrote on Instagram Stories that discussed cultural appropriation and the devaluation of Black features on African American women was covered by Teen Vogue.[8]
In 2019 Mitchell collaborated with Known Supply to develop an eco-friendly limited edition collection of apparel called Only Human.[7] She is an advocate for making the fashion industry more sustainable.[7]