Kelsey Merritt (born October 1, 1996) is a Filipino model from the Philippines. She started her career by working on an advertisement for the Maybelline cosmetic company.
A dream-come-true for this rising supermodel who also made international headlines as the first Filipino to join Victoria’s Secret fashion show stage.
Recently, photos from Victoria’s Secret’s 23rd annual fashion show in New York City were released and Twitter went into a frenzy after featuring the newcomer Filipina model Kelsey Merritt.
Before this, when Merritt first announced her new role in September, users had taken to Twitter to judge her for not being the best representation of the community.
“How do modern Filipinos look (sic) anyways?” one Twitter user asked, “Like do we fit in a particular mold?”
In a series of updates on Instagram, Merritt had posted on a behind-the-scenes of what’s to come, garnering a new set of comments.
As the preparations for the show were underway, the backlash from Twitter was also ongoing.
While others fought back and sided with Merritt, arguing that the supermodel should be given a chance, and shouldn’t be denied her place.
More Twitter users have continued to show their support when new photos of her were released while she was walking the runway.
The 21 year-old Pampanga-born model, joined the likes of Adriana Lima, Behati Prinsloo, Martha Hunt, Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid, and fellow newcomers Winnie Harlow, Barbara Palvin, and Lorena Rae in the said fashion show, held and taped last Thursday in New York and set to premiere on ABC on December 2.
In her Instagram, Merritt posted about her idol, Adriana Lima, who will be walking in her final show with Victoria’s Secret.
“Growing up watching the @victoriassecret fashion show, I wanted to be like @adrianalima! She is such an inspiration,” Merritt wrote. “I can’t believe I get to say I’ve walked the show with her and all the beautiful VS models!!!!”
Merritt, is also trending on the Philippine Twitter with #PinoyPride (the show will air on Monday, Dec. 3 for the Philippines).
This famous Filipino-American supermodel started off his modeling career with Wilhelmina International modeling agency in New York City at the age of 18.