Looking classy in a simple black top matched with a pair of floral-print pants that enhances what seems like endless legs, her smile is infectious.

But there is something other than her towering height, lithe figure and pretty face that makes Sonya special.

Her skin is like a canvas, painted with random pale white patches that stand out against her brown complexion, all part of a skin condition known as vitiligo.

“I’ve had people tell me to bleach my skin to be completely white. I’ve had parents pull their kids away, telling them not to come near me or they would suffer the same skin condition,” she tells FMT, highlighting the general lack of awareness about vitiligo.

“People have also expressed their pity for me, stating that this skin condition would make it very tough for me to find a husband,” she says candidly as she takes a sip of her drink.

As expected, Sonya’s childhood was tough as she often felt alone, trying her best to come to terms with vitiligo as she didn’t know of others who had the same skin condition.

She says, it was quite a stomach-churning experience to witness the constantly changing colour of her complexion that made her look literally like a different person every year. This often led to bullying.

She recounts the many years she spent trying to conceal the condition through western as well as traditional medicine.

By the age of 17, weary and disheartened by how nothing was working, she told her parents she was done experimenting with more treatment.

She left for Los Angeles to pursue fashion and business marketing and it was there that she learned to embrace vitiligo.

Unlike in Malaysia, Sonya never encountered anyone in the US who made fun of her. Instead, they were accepting of her skin condition and this was a tremendous boost to her self-esteem.

After four years in the US, she returned to Malaysia and took up a job with fashion retailer Forever 21. She was comfortably settling into life.

Then two years ago, a photographer walked up to her, introduced himself and enquired if she would be open for an editorial shoot. She gave him her contact details and forgot about the meeting immediately.

Then months later, he contacted her saying that the shoot had been set up and all that was needed was for her to show up.

“Modelling was always something I wanted to pursue but I never had the confidence to do it. You know, you have to be a certain size, a certain colour,” she says, adding that the dream eventually fizzled out, until of course the encounter with that photographer.

She was told that once the photo shoot was complete, she would be free to post the photos after the photographer released them first.

“I was feeling very insecure about posting it and even held back for quite a bit because social media can be a tricky place and you don’t know how people will respond to it.”

When she was ready to post the photos, Sonya decided to share her deepest thoughts and vulnerabilities in the caption of every single one.

She was pleasantly surprised that social media users took notice of her photos, and began sharing her story. There was none of the mocking or condescending comments that she so feared would be posted.

In fact, she received a warm reception. Before she knew it, Sonya found herself sashaying down her first runway in the KL Fashion Week of 2018.

It has been a whirlwind of events and photo shoots since. These days, Sonya is a familiar face in magazines and brand campaigns.

“I’ve done campaigns with Levi’s, Maybelline, Chatime, they all gave me the platform to share my story and help others.

“A lot of people have reached out to me, sending messages that they still fear going out in public because of what people may say to or about them.

“I actually feel really sad because they ask me questions like how to be confident. Unfortunately, it’s not something I built overnight. I’ve been working on it for the longest time and I’m still continuously working on it today,” Sonya says.

She is now working on a few projects related to skin positivity, and she hopes her message will help those who struggle with body positivity and self-love.

“Mental health is something that is very important and very underrated especially in Malaysia. People tend to shrug it off.

“It’s important for you to speak out because if you allow everyone else to continuously suppress you, you’re going to end up being really unhappy at the end of the day.

“If you need help, seek it whether it’s in the form of your family or friends,” she says.

You can look up Sonya Danita’s work on her Instagram here.