Melanie Gaydos set out to find work as a model. She was born with ectodermal dysplasia, which in her case caused hair loss, missing teeth, and a cleft palate; she said she never felt her appearance defined who she was.
In a profile published by Allure on June 19, 2017, Gaydos said she didn’t feel insecure about her appearance. Rather than wait for an opportunity, she looked for work on Craigslist and ModelMayhem and connected with photographers interested in a different look for their portfolios. She was 28 when the profile was published.
By then, she had already appeared in alternative publications and walked at New York Fashion Week. The search she started on her own took her from the internet to that runway.
