Pahrump, Nevada, August 2nd, 2018 – A former professional fashion model is coming clean about the negative impact the fashion industry had on her physical and mental health, and why she changed careers to become a successful sex worker at Sheri’s Ranch, a licensed Nevada brothel near Las Vegas.
Phoenix Divina, a woman in her mid-twenties that had a seven-year career in the fashion industry, said that she was initially thrilled when she entered the fashion business in her teens.
“When I was 16 years old, a man came up to me in a coffee shop and asked if he could touch my back to feel how thin I was,” Divina said. “He pinched my skin in between his fingers and said something about my body fat percentage. He told me I could be a runway model and asked me to come to his agency to talk about it more.”
“Before I knew it, I was flying all over the world and making a good living as a model,” Divina said.
Her joy rapidly changed into stress and a self-destructive obsession with her appearance as the competitive reality of her new profession started to become evident and she occasionally lost opportunities because of weight gain.
“Modeling provided me with unique experiences that I wasn’t able to enjoy because I was feeling too insecure about my body as a model. I was under constant pressure to remain thin so that I can continue to book as many clients as possible,” Divina said.
“I developed a binge-eating habit to cope with the stress, which only harmed my health more,” She said.
Divina said that she decided to leave the profession after seven years because of the psychological and physical toll it took on her.
“The more inches I gained the more clients I would lose. It was terrible for my self-esteem and when I finally quit after seven years, it felt like an invisible weight had been lifted off of me.”
Shortly after leaving the industry, Divina decided to use her stunning good looks to make money in another way, by entering Nevada’s legal sex work scene, where she rediscovered a positive self-image at the legal brothel.
“I still struggle with my body image and self-esteem on a daily basis, but it’s been steadily improving since I became a sex worker,” Divina said.
“It’s such a relief to me now that I have clients who appreciate and celebrate my body just the way it is. As a sex worker, my clients value me for more than just my measurements, and even for more than the sexual services I offer. They value me for who I am as a person, internally, more than my clients in the fashion industry ever would have.”
“I get to be the most authentic version of myself as a sex worker. I appreciate my body for the pleasure it brings to both me and my client. I feel confident and empowered as a sex worker. I know that I’m good at what I do and that I’m admired and well-compensated for it,” Divina said.
The 27-year-old Divina said that she has no intention of ever returning to the fashion industry and hopes to practice sex work as her career for many years to come.
“It’s surprising to many people that I would quit modeling to become a sex worker, but it was the best decision I ever made and I don’t think I’ll ever look back.”
“People think that the sex industry is shallow, but to me it has far more depth than the fashion industry. I believe sex is sacred and transformational at a level far beyond fashion. I know some people say fashion is life, but for me, sex is life,” Divina said.
“There’s not much else that I could ask for in a job.”
Phoenix Divina Twitter: @PhoenixDivina
