What is Beauty?

Osteogenesis Perfecta Sarah Stothard FASH20031

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what is beauty? disability and the industry prejudice disability chic cut throat world rankin osteogenesis imperfecta dazed osteogenesis perfecta fcp and the disabled models

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“Such combined perfection of form and charm of colouring as affords keen pleasure to the sense of sight” (Oxford English Dictionary, Online, 2012)

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what is beauty?

Fashion is obsessed with perfection. Models have perfect skin, hair, and figures. Disabilities however, are historically seen as imperfect, ugly, and difficult to understand. Disabilities and fashion have never gone hand in hand. “What the clients want, the agencies provide� (Beane, 2009), and many clients don’t want disabled people in their campaigns.

Choosing disabilities for this photo shoot was not only to raise awareness that disabilities can work within fashion, but that people who have disabilities are people. Beautiful people.

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disability and the industry Throughout history we have accepted those of different race, religion, sex, and learnt that differences between humans are beautiful. One area of difference we are yet to understand is disabilities. After the appearance of CBeebies presenter Cerrie Burnell, who was born with a missing arm, complaints that “her disability would frighten their children� (Taylor, 2009) were made by parents. If our children are taught at a young age that disabilities are frightening and wrong, is there hope for disability acceptance in the future?

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prejudice The fashion industry holds many of these prejudices for those with disabilities; the imperfect. “The fashion industry should really be more open minded…if a woman is beautiful then why shouldn’t she be able to become a model?”(Moody, 2009) Kellie Moody, who is completely deaf, made this statement in an interview shortly after participating in Britain’s Missing Top Model (BMTM). Before the show, she was given a business card from an agent at London Fashion Week, who didn’t realise she was deaf When she turned up for casting and they realised she could not hear, she was told she wasn’t right for the job. This is not a 8

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singular incident. Many beautiful women each year try to break into the modelling industry are turned away purely because of physical or mental differences. Artist, model and disability campaigner Sophie Morgan, who was paralysed from the waist down in a car accident, believes the fashion industry will not change its mind over the use of disabled models, “the fashion industry has always struggled with these sorts of topics.�(Morgan, 2009)

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disability chic When the industry introduced the idea of ‘disability chic’, using wheelchairs and crutches as props, the models have been able bodied. This glamorised disabilities and enabled the models to walk off set leaving the chairs behind.

Disabled models don’t just have their condition for one shoot. Only a few designers, including Stella McCartney, have used Sophie and other disabled models in their campaigns. The rest follow fashions idea of perfect.

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disability and the industry

BMTM, aired in 2008, took disabled models to see if they had what it takes to make it in the “cut-throat world of modelling.”(Duttine, 2008) Through this documentary, and reactions of industry professionals to disabilities, we understand the difficulty disabled people face within the industry. Fashion simply doesn’t see disability as beautiful. Despite the shows’ good intentions, some industry professionals expressed the view that the contestants “will never be top models.”(Summers, 2008) During the final, one photographer hid the disabilities. Lara Masters, disabled judge said that “this photographer has been asked to work with three disabled models, and she has made them all look able-bodied and it’s fucking offensive. I think it’s outrageous.”(Masters, 2008) 13

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rankin Kelly Knox, winner of BMTM, who was born with only one arm, was photographed by Rankin. When talking to the BBC, Rankin said he “like[s] people to not be perfect. So for [Kelly] to have this unique quality, for me it’s something that I want to show in the image. I don’t want to hide it.” (Rankin, 2008) His belief that the imperfect are beautiful has allowed our ideas to develop further, and to hopefully change fashion for the better.

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osteogenesis imperfecta Our model, Roxanne, has Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a disability which is not visible to the naked eye. Her bones lack collagen, causing them to break easily. It has also dramatically affected her height. Roxanne has class one OI, the least severe type. Due to this, she considers herself to be extremely lucky, and lives her life like any other university student. We decided to show her ownership of her disability through a single, powerful image. I was greatly inspired by Sophie Morgan’s reaction to her naked shoot; “I really wanted to make a bloody massive statement with the picture…it wasn’t all about beauty and all about disability, but one conquering the other.”

(Morgan, 2008) The message behind the final image is that disability should not hold a person back. Their disability does not define them.

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dazed Alexander McQueen, Nick Knight and Dazed & Confused used Olympic athlete and disabled model Aimee Mullins in their shoot, ‘Fashion-Able’. This was seen as a breakthrough for real beauty within fashion; however the response from the industry was one of confusion and disgust; imperfect models are alien. The images of Aimee capture the fragility of her condition contrasted with the strength and acceptance she has within herself. It shows awareness of her beauty. From these images we chose a black and white shot with low lighting for inspiration.

Aimee lies on the floor, supporting her lower back as she raises her legs in the air. Dressed minimally, in plain black underwear, her athletic figure is shown. She wears her running blades. This image connotes everything that we want to achieve with our image; self-acceptance, beauty in everyone, and that beauty should not be hidden.

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osteogenesis perfecta

a photograph by S Stothard, E Ward, C Cooper, F Battista and N Garsin

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Our image was shot in low light. Roxanne lies on her shoulders, hands propping her lower back as she raises her legs. Her head is tilted to look directly at the camera, directly at the viewer. The image is black and white, low lighting illuminates her skin. The model wears a simple black top and shorts, her hair swept away from her face.

Her make-up is natural. There are no props. All attention is drawn to the model, extending up from the bottom of the image, filling the space. She does not appear to be small.

The image has been shot and styled like a shoot in a magazine, and draws references from Nick Knight, and BMTM’s nude shoot. Through its simplicity, the image connotes self-acceptance. The eye is drawn to the model, to her beauty; her disability is an afterthought. The strength required to hold the pose connotes the model’s freedom within herself despite her disability. Her condition, OI, medically infers that she is weak, fragile, and delicate. The image shows she is strong, confident, determined and her beauty shines out.

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“I like people not to be perfect…I think it’s really beautiful.”

(Rankin, 2008)

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fcp and the disabled models

Fashion Communication and Promotion has a role to play in gaining acceptance of disabled modelling. Disabled models are rarely used and when they are, their disabilities are hidden. In order to increase their visibility, the industry needs to accept that beauty is more than perfect models with the perfect bodies. Beauty comes in all forms, able bodied or not. FCP can help increase the self-esteem and self-awareness of those who want to break the industry despite being disabled. It isn’t impossible.

With the correct campaigning and the right ambassadors, we will begin to see more and more beautiful, disabled people modelling designer brands, allowing the viewer to learn more about disabilities and in turn, accept them as part of everyday life. Being disabled should not be something that holds a person back. It should be something that leads to new and exciting opportunities.

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images Fig 1 – OWN IMAGE Fig 2 – TIM WALKER, 2005. Lily and Spiral Staircase. Tim Walker Photography [Online]. Available at: http://timwalkerphotography. com/archive_images.php [Accessed: 22 November 2012] Fig 3 – RANKIN, 2008. Kelly Knox. Kelly Knox Online [Online]. Available at: http://kellyknox.com/fashion/ [Accessed: 28 November 2012] Fig 4 –DAVID BEBBER, 2012. Sophie on the Grass. The Times [Online]. Available at:http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/article3528325.ece [Accessed: 28 November 2012] Fig 5 – O’Malley, C.D. and Saunders, J.B. de C.M., 1952. The Anatomical Physiological and Embryological Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci.

New York: Henry Schuman, page 55, illustration.

Fig 6 – OLIVER PEARCE, 2008. Sophie Nude. Sophie Morgan Online [Online]. Available at: http://sophiemorgan.com/disabled-model/ nude/#!prettyPhoto [Accessed: 28 November 2012] Fig 7 – SARAH STOTHARD, 2012. Roxanne in Black and White.[final image] Fig 8 – REVEAL MAGAZINE, 2012. Reveal Magazine and Mannequal.

Sophie Morgan Online [Online]. Available at: http://sophiemorgan. com/modelling/ [Accessed: 22 November 2012] Fig 9 - FIG 2 – TIM WALKER, 2005. Lily and Spiral Staircase. Tim Walker Photography [Online]. Available at: http://timwalkerphotography.com/archive_images.php [Accessed: 22 November 2012] Fig 10. CHANNEL 4, 2012. I am Robot. Sophie Morgan Online [Online]. Available at: http://sophiemorgan.com/news/ [Accessed: 28 November 2012]

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Fig 11 – UNKNOWN, 2010. Tiphany Adams on the Bella Petite Hour.

Bella Petite Online [Online]. Available at: http://bellapetite.com/ model-and-advocate-for-the-disabled-tiphany-adams-on-the-bella-petite-hour-radio-show-january-26.html [Accessed: 22 November 2012] Fig 12- RANKIN, 2008. Kelly Knox. Kelly Knox Online [Online].

Available at: http://kellyknox.com/fashion/ [Accessed: 28 November 2012] Fig 13 - UNKNOWN, 2008. Kellie Moody on the Runway. Zap2it [Online]. Available at: http://www.zap2it.com/news/custom/photogallery/tv/zap-britains-missing-top-model-kellie,0,4175043.photo [Accessed: 28 November 2012] Fig 14 - Figure 4 –DAVID BEBBER, 2012. Sophie on the Grass. The Times [Online]. Available at:http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/article3528325.ece [Accessed: 22 November 2012] Fig 15 – HELMUT NEWTON, 1995. Woman with Leg Brace. Karaj [Online]. Available at: http://karaj.tumblr.com/post/327205063/ helmut-newton-obviously-did-not-know-or-care-about [Accessed: 30 November 2012] Fig 16 – BBC THREE, 2008. Britain’s Missing Top Models. BBC [Online]. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/missingmodel/archive. shtml [Accessed: 28 November 2012] Fig 17 – AMELIA, 2008. Britain’s Missing Top Model Finalists. Fabsugar [Online]. Available at: http://www.fabsugar.co.uk/BritainsMissing-Top-Model-Do-You-Agree-Winner-1825346 [Accessed: 28 November 2012] Fig 18 – AMELIA, 2008. Sophie in Orange Dress. Fabsugar [Online].

Available at: http://www.fabsugar.co.uk/Exclusive-Few-Fab-Words-

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Sophie-Morgan-1861523 [Accessed: 28 November 2012] Fig 19 – RANKIN, 2008. Kelly Knox. Kelly Knox Online [Online].

Available at: http://kellyknox.com/fashion/ [Accessed: 28November 2012] Fig 20– OLIVER PEARCE, 2008. Sophie Nude. Sophie Morgan Online [Online]. Available at: http://sophiemorgan.com/disabled-model/ nude/#!prettyPhoto [Accessed: 28 November 2012] Fig 21 – NICK KNIGHT, 1998. Aimee with her Blades. Beauty Delux [Online]. Available at: http://beautydelux.com/category/top-fashion-models/page/2/ [Accessed: 28 November 2012] Fig 22 - SARAH STOTHARD, 2012. Roxanne in Black and White. [final image] Fig 23 - REVEAL MAGAZINE, 2012. Reveal Magazine and Mannequal. Sophie Morgan Online [Online]. Available at: http://sophiemorgan.com/modelling/ [Accessed: 28 November 2012]

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bibliography books

Collett, R., 1992. Access to Image: Photo Work Book: Disability Photography Series. Bradford: VALID Hevey, D., 1992. The Creatures That Time Forgot.

London: Routledge O’Malley, C.D. and Saunders, J.B. de C.M., 1952. The Anatomical Physiological and Embryological Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. New York: Henry Schuman Shakespeare, T., 2002. Disabibity/Postmodernity: Embodying Disability Theory. London: Continuum International Publishing Group

websites BBC, 2008. Kelly’s Photo Shoot. [online]. Available at: http://www. bbc.co.uk/missingmodel/news/050808_rankin.shtml TAYLOR, J. 2009. Victims of the Fashion Industry’s Prejudice [online].

Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/victims-of-the-fashion-industrys-prejudice-1634237.html

television Britain’s Mising Top Model, 2008. [TV] BBC, 1st July - 29th July 2008.

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