The 24-year-old said she's always wanted to be a mother.
Karla Renic
·Lifestyle Editor
Updated Tue, November 21, 2023
(Instagram/@willow.allen)
An Inuk model from the Northwest Territories has graced Vogue with her pregnant belly front-and-centre.
Willow Allen, 24, shared screenshots of the article to her Instagram on Monday, thanking Vogue for the opportunity.
"This little Inuvialuk made it all the way from the Arctic into Vogue," she captioned the post, in part, along with a heart emoji.
The first photo in her carousel was an adorable snap of Allen as a child in Inuvik, bundled up in traditional winter attire, holding a fish of the same height. Another photo showed young Allen with to elders from her community.
A more recent photo in the carousel pictured the model — and mom-to-be — outdoors in athleisure, showing off her belly. She now lives in Saskatchewan.
In the article, Allen shared she's incorporating Inuit culture in her motherhood journey. She admitted being a mother is something she had always wanted.
"I always saw myself having a big family, because I saw so much love and nurturing in my parents and grandparents; Family gatherings have always been the most fulfilling times of my life," Allen told Vogue.
In Inuit culture, she explained, the parenting style is gentle.
"We treat babies and young children with a lot of autonomy... There's a respect, and there's no need to control a child's life. If they want to do something, that's their choice," Allen said in the article, adding that's how she was raised.
"What I was taught by my family in the north is to always be grateful, and to have so much respect for the animals and the land that provides for us," she continued.
Allen also opened up about struggles in her pregnancy, having been diagnosed with Hyperemesis gravidarum — severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
According to Vogue, the model said she's looking to her cultural traditions for help.
"When I went home, I talked to my [grandmother] about it, she said that something that always helped with sickness was fish eggs," Allen told Vogue. She then reflected on the "disconnect" between Western and Indigenous remedies for pregnancy, like doctors recommending to not eat raw fish or raw meat.
"That's all of our traditional diet in the north... I was like, ‘That can’t be right,' because all of my family has eaten it raw," she said.
Allen's followers and fellow Indigenous influencers rushed to congratulate her on appearing in Vogue.
"This is amazing! Congratulations," one person commented on her post.
"The content you share is a breath of fresh air from the fast paced life and the over-consumerist society we live in," another added.
"This is both so beautiful and inspiring! Thank you for sharing your story and good luck on your next chapter," someone chimed in.
"I'm so happy for you and proud of you! You're a woman and great example to many people — keep shining your light!" another wrote.
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