Rebekah Marine, who has bionic arm, will walk at New York Fashion Week. Back in India, we haven’t seen fashion industry to be ‘inclusive’ of differently-abled models
Modelling is one demanding profession where every inch of body can make or break career. However, in such a competitive chaos, this New Jersey-based model comes as a fresh sigh of hope. Rebekah Marine, who was born without a right forearm, is making international headlines, as she is all set to walk for the FTL Moda show on September 13 at the New York Fashion Week.
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She has got an i-limb quantum prosthetic hand but her extraordinary determination has conquered the otherwise rude world of fashion. Born with disability, Marine had given up on hopes of becoming a model. She was turned down by several agencies. However, she decided to give it ‘another shot’ six years ago, when she got bionic arm. Initially, she would shy away from lens but gradually she took matters into her ‘hands’.
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So far, she has got prestigious assignments like NYFW and was features in Nordstrom’s 2015 anniversary catalogue. She is also the ambassador for the Lucky Fin Project, an initiative to support people with ‘upper limb difference’.
Her initial years were really tough. “It didn’t go very well, of course, when casting directors noticed my disability. Hearing the words ‘You’ll never have a future in the business,’ really hit me hard,” she said to People. In a separate interview to Mashable, she said, “Being a model with a disability has been extremely difficult over the past couple years. Agencies often won’t even look at my portfolio. But I’ve come to realise it’s all about finding your niche. I’ve accepted that most clients may not want to work with me based on my ‘disability.”
Models with physical challenges have been foraying into New York fashion dos. Earlier, models on wheelchairs, a male amputee and a model with Down’s Syndrome have been seen on the runway.
Back home, the Indian fashion industry has not been very ‘inclusive’ of models with disability. Differently-abled individuals have made it to the ramp for ‘special shows or causes’ but we still haven’t seen them walking into the consciousness of mainstream fashion shows.
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(The pictures have been taken from Rebekah Marine‘s official Facebook page)
