9/22/2023 0 Comments Curvy tumblr![]() ![]() I knew that there’s people out there like me, but we are never included in any conversations.”ĭisabled people and disabled models are still left out of most campaign ads and runway shows. It was definitely confusing because I knew my worth in the world. It excluded me from something that I was very passionate about. “There wasn’t anyone who looked like me in any magazines or mainstream media, TV, or anything. “We contacted all sorts of agencies in San Francisco and L.A., and every one of them told us that there’s no market for a model with a disability.” Growing up, Jillian remembers never seeing disabled models in fashion or entertainment. Chelsea’s mother, Lisa, recalls being rejected when they first started looking for modeling agencies for Chelsea. The recent push for inclusion aside, the fashion industry has all but shut out disabled models and consumers save for a few special occasions. Additionally, with campaigns like #BlackModelsMatter that launched in 2015 (the phrase was seen on model Ashley Chew’s tote bag in 2015), this year the industry has seen its most racially diverse Fashion Week in history with the spring 2018 shows. This is a small step, but a step nonetheless in the right direction. Calvin Klein was one of the designers named, and five years later, the brand has added black models to their fall 2018 ad campaign. In 2013, when Bethann Hardison, Iman, and Naomi Campbell demanded more inclusion of black models as a part of the Diversity Coalition, they named names. While the fashion industry has been reluctant to include a full range of diverse bodies, what any smart business is responsive to is demand. Campaigns such as Aerie’s most recent, featuring disabled models, disrupt existing visions of beauty and make space to both celebrate and market to a wider array of bodies.įor Jillian, Chelsea, and Mama Cax, the more their stars rise, the more they are in front of judgmental eyes as they reach a wider audience and an industry that doesn’t quite know what to do with the disabled celebrity. This makes the rise of models with disabilities revolutionary, calling into question an acceptable form of discrimination in the industry. Modeling is predicated on a traditional sense of ability: Models have bodies that are considered to be aspirational, and they strut down the runway as though they are giving an ode to able-bodied walking. So what do you do when your job is to have people look at you? Chelsea Werner, a gymnast and model with Down syndrome Jillian Mercado, a model with spastic muscular dystrophy and Mama Cax, a blogger, model, amputee, and disability advocate, all know this experience firsthand. ![]() Feeling like people are looking at you or judging you is one of the most fraught experiences when you are a person with a disability. People feel they have the right to either assume that I was in some mysterious car accident (I wasn’t) or to walk up to me and ask questions about my body. In stores, I sometimes feel like I am at a press conference. The eyes on me are unforgiving some people even going as far as making snide remarks when I pass by. I experience this every time I enter public spaces. ![]() But my humanity can sometimes take a back seat to the eyes of strangers who are often either agitated by my mere presence or feel entitled to answers about my disability as if it is my only trait. I am also a writer, journalist, activist, and I travel around the world speaking about disability and representation. I am 26 years old and I have cerebral palsy. You definitely don’t want to miss this up and coming gorgeous model and her spicy content.What It’s Like to Be a Disabled Model in the Fashion Industry This beautiful queen is not only a model but also a content creator and streamer □ Here at curves would love to introduce the beautiful is a new model to the scene and has curves that will make your heart melt. ![]()
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