Latest news with #BoundlessBeautySummit
The Age
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Molly went blind at 14. This is her plea to the beauty industry
Fourteen is a pivotal age for anyone, but for Molly Burke, it was the year her life changed. After being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at four, a condition that causes low vision, she lost most of her sight at 14. 'I struggled a lot. I lost all of my friends, I was really badly bullied, depressed and suicidal ...14 is a formative year for anybody, right?' Now 31, Burke has become a trailblazer for people with disability in the fashion and beauty industries. She was the first blind creator to hit 1 million followers on social media, and today, she has more than 3 million followers on YouTube and TikTok combined, discussing everything from how she knows she has her period to her favourite beauty products. She has spoken at the United Nations and World Economic Forum, partnered with companies such as Google, and in 2024, was named one of Forbes 30 under 30. This is the Canadian's first visit to Australia, where she is being hosted by Guide Dogs Australia for their inaugural Boundless Beauty Summit – dedicated to the beauty industry and accessible design. In the early years after losing her sight, the internet – more specifically, YouTube – was a life raft. 'So many people look at beauty influencers and they roll their eyes like, 'Oh, these are just these girls who are self-absorbed and obsessed with how they look.'' '[But] these girls changed my life. They helped give me my confidence back, rebuild my self-esteem and regain a skill that I felt like I no longer had access to.' It's a common misconception that people experiencing low vision or blindness don't wear make-up or care about beauty. But for Burke, losing her sight simply changed how she interacted with fashion and beauty.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Molly went blind at 14. This is her plea to the beauty industry
Fourteen is a pivotal age for anyone, but for Molly Burke, it was the year her life changed. After being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at four, a condition that causes low vision, she lost most of her sight at 14. 'I struggled a lot. I lost all of my friends, I was really badly bullied, depressed and suicidal ...14 is a formative year for anybody, right?' Now 31, Burke has become a trailblazer for people with disability in the fashion and beauty industries. She was the first blind creator to hit 1 million followers on social media, and today, she has more than 3 million followers on YouTube and TikTok combined, discussing everything from how she knows she has her period to her favourite beauty products. She has spoken at the United Nations and World Economic Forum, partnered with companies such as Google, and in 2024, was named one of Forbes 30 under 30. This is the Canadian's first visit to Australia, where she is being hosted by Guide Dogs Australia for their inaugural Boundless Beauty Summit – dedicated to the beauty industry and accessible design. In the early years after losing her sight, the internet – more specifically, YouTube – was a life raft. 'So many people look at beauty influencers and they roll their eyes like, 'Oh, these are just these girls who are self-absorbed and obsessed with how they look.'' '[But] these girls changed my life. They helped give me my confidence back, rebuild my self-esteem and regain a skill that I felt like I no longer had access to.' It's a common misconception that people experiencing low vision or blindness don't wear make-up or care about beauty. But for Burke, losing her sight simply changed how she interacted with fashion and beauty.
