Shaun Ross

Shaun Ross, born May 10, 1991, is an American model, recording artist, and actor of African descent. He gained recognition in the fashion industry as the first professional male model with the congenital disorder albinism. Over the course of his career, Ross has expanded his work into acting, music performance, and advocacy, establishing a multi-disciplinary presence across fashion and entertainment.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Ross experienced significant discrimination and bullying during his childhood due to his albinism, being called names such as Powder, Wite-Out, and Casper by peers. He pursued artistic training at the Alvin Ailey School, where he trained for five years. At the age of 16 in 2008, Ross was discovered on YouTube, which facilitated his transition into the fashion industry.

Upon entering the modeling field at age 16, Ross was represented by Djamee Models in New York City and was also signed by AMCK Models London. Throughout his fashion career, he has worked with prominent designers, magazines, and brand campaigns, including Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, Vogue, GQ, and Nylon. In 2018, Ross collaborated with designer Nina Athanasiou to create the In My Skin clothing line, a project designed to bring awareness to albinism.

In addition to print and runway modeling, Ross has appeared in numerous music videos and screen projects. His notable video appearances include Katy Perry's E.T., Beyoncé's Party and Pretty Hurts, and Lana Del Rey's short film Tropico. He has also been featured in music videos for Leona Lewis's Fire Under My Feet, Duke Dumont's Red Light Green Light, Charli XCX's Boys, Gold Fields's Dark Again, Issues's Coma, and Steve Aoki's videos for ILYSM and Kids.

Ross launched his music career in November 2017 with the release of his debut single Symmetry, featuring Lizzo on background vocals. In August 2018, he released the single Chrysalis and opened for singer ionnalee in Los Angeles. He made his first music festival appearance performing alongside Australian electronic artist What So Not at the Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival, and later performed at LA Pride in 2019. Furthermore, he performed his song Good Vein for the Recording Academy's Press Play series and covered Cher's Believe for their Reimagined series.

In 2021, Ross released his first full-length LP, titled SHIFT, on JEX Records. Its second single, You Care, was featured in the HBO documentary The Legend of the Underground, which highlights Nigerian legislation discriminating against the LGBTQ community. In May 2021, Ross was profiled in the New York Times Style Section. Outside of his media projects, Ross participates in the underground ballroom scene in New York and Los Angeles as the west coaster father of the House of Ninja. He is openly gay and announced his engagement to model and actor David Alan Madrick on August 10, 2022.