The Unstoppable Precious Lee

Precious lee knew she'd model couture and walk for versace one day. She was just waiting for the rest of the world to catch up

- By Alexis Okeowo. Photography by Adrienne Raquel

You have to see Precious Lee up close to absorb her glow, an energy that is integral to her beauty. It’s been obvious, from her first editorials in-store catalogs—where she posed like she was in a couture campaign—to her more recent presence on runways and magazine covers, that she’s a model the fashion industry wants to keep watching. The last few years have seen a dazzling rise for Lee, who belongs to the category of “curve models,” but who went from the typical domain of such models—lingerie, swimsuits—to modeling the clothes of Versace, Fendi x Skims, and Moschino, proving again that high fashion can be sold to consumers with an array of body types. It’s a victory for a Southern Black woman who has continually resisted expectations of what she can and cannot do.