Brace Yourself

Obra Plástica de Camilo Barreto

When fashion editor Mireya Navarro of the new York Times wrote, "The public image of people with disabilities has often hinged on the heroic or the tragic," I softly uttered, "You said it." For as long as it has been in existence, the fashion industry has generally shunned models that don't fall under the 'aspirational' umbrella. It's the taller-than-average, uber-skinny, doll-faced girl they're looking for because her look is so rare, it's basically impossible to achieve. Compare that to a beautiful girl who is overweight, blind, or wearing leg braces (which, while also not the 'norm,' is viewed as sad or undesirable.)

The problem with the current rationale is this: Every look is basically unattainable for the girl trying to attain it. And, unless you define yourself by your body mass index or the number of limbs you possess, there is far more to aspire to than towering over your peers or becoming a size zero. "Britain's Missing Top Model" which features models with disabilities gets us part of the way there. High fashion models like double-amputee Aimee Mullins gets us even closer. And, with designers and photographers featuring braces, prosthetic limbs, and wheelchairs in pictorials and on runways, perhaps our collective conscious will eventually accept what has typically been considered 'sad' as something 'beautiful' instead. Is this possible, or am I simply overly optimistic?

Murray Vern for Pure Magazine (2008)

Photo by Black Book Magazine (2009)

Helmut Newton's 'The Empowered Woman' - Vogue (1995)

Obra Plástica de Camilo Barreto (2008)

Photo by Diana Scheunemann (2009)

Photos by Alex Norden (for Coutorture) (2008)

Romain Kremer & Renata Veras - S/S 2009

Photo by Oleksiy Maksymenko (2008)

Audrey Blouse from Wheeliechix Chic collection (2009)

Catherine McNeil for French Vogue (2008)