In its first year hopping across the pond from New York to London, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has been making headlines.

According to the New York Post, model Kendall Jenner will be absent from the Victoria’s Secret runway this year in order to walk the Chanel Métiers d’Art show, which will be held on the same night. She was rumored to make her Victoria’s Secret debut this year, but she was already booked for its date. It must be hard to have it all.

There remains speculation surrounding why Jenner really chose Chanel over Victoria’s Secret. After New York Fashion Week, the rumors were that Jenner was being bullied backstage by fellow models, according to a Sept. 18 Huffington Post article.

Any industry full of women is going to have tension, but bullying is never something than can be justified. Yes, the Kardashians are a very in-your-face group, but just because Jenner is related to them doesn’t mean she should be subjected to cattiness and feel unwelcomed. She acted professionally and didn’t make a big deal or scandal out of it, but that doesn’t mean it’s OK for her to feel attacked while she’s doing something she loves, especially while doing it as well as she does.

As far as handling the models who snubbed Jenner for her name and family goes, they need to realize they’re all working together for the greater good. They each play a vital role in promoting brands and doing so in a friendly, chic way to attract buyers. In no way does that involve bullying or competing negatively with each other.

Many people are always going to assume she’s a model with such great opportunities only because her half-sisters are Kardashians, and they have connections across the industry, but that’s not the case. She’s an extremely talented model who attended every Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, from New York to Paris, and walked in multiple shows in each city. The fashion industry doesn’t care who you’re related to — it’s about how you perform and represent the brands you’re hired to pose for.

When you’re in the spotlight, people are going to watch your every move and judge you for just about anything. Jenner is an example of a model that faced challenges but didn’t let them deter her goals whatsoever.

Veteran supermodel Coco Rocha spoke out against the bullies and offered Jenner some valuable words of wisdom.

“It is bad for the industry, and if that all did happen, that’s really frustrating to hear,” Rocha told HuffPost Live. “You have to remember that during the shows, it is all very young girls. It’s like high school. We breathe and eat and sleep together for two months, so it gets to a point where you’re just overwhelmed, frustrated and tired.”

It seems as though every industry is trying to empower women and push them further into professional and high-ranking jobs. Fashion is definitely among them. I think this is very important and educating those involved in the process is crucial.

Shaming other women should not be a part of getting ahead. With so much news about the Victoria’s Secret runway show lately, the Jenner bullying saga has made its way back into headlines. The bullying incidents may have nothing to do with the model’s decision. But they still prove to be important in making changes and adding to the conversation about working together to empower one another and improve the fashion industry as a whole.

Zoe Malliaros is a sophomore advertising major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at zmalliar@syr.edu.

Published on November 17, 2014 at 12:01 am