Debbie by Marc Sakro

LA shoot Jorge Kreimer

Hollywood ready for Diversity?

Is hollywood ready for model diversity? And Disability in Film Media and Advertising?
Well to be honoust I dont know, I’m in Hollywood for 6 days now that have been fully booked with paid jobs in Modelling so you would think they are ready.
But when you try to approach media, talent agency or modelling agency we don’t get any responce!
I think we have such a positive story to share and its time to have some amazing talented role models!
Thanks to my amazing american contact Everetta Days we have the oppurtunity to meet with a big talent agency today.
Please keep you fingers crossed that they are able to sign us and help us spread the word!
I cant wait to get back here, the past few days have just been too amazing and have shown everybody that it is posible as long as you believe in it!

Hello Hollywood

Hi Guys, just a quick update I’m in Los Angeles at the moment!

Me Shaholly and Rebekah are having a blast! And we are very busy promoting Disability in Hollywood!
Yesterday I had a day off so went shopping on Melrose Av. Bought an amazing jacket and some jeans..
Later that day Rebekah And Shaholly went to their first movie audition, I really hope Shaholly or Beka gets the job!

Today Me and Shaholly are going to shoot a horror filmposter we are very excited for that!
I’ll keep you updated on all the fun stuff! Love from LA!

Rebekah Marine to Join Debbie and Shaholly to promote #DisabilityinHollywood

Great News! On friday I’ll be flying out to Los Angeles to promote Disability in media and fashion with amazing fellow model Shaholly Ayers from Hawaii.
After my wonderfull and succesful time in Rome at the Modelle e Rotelle show I’m very excited to go Hollywood and try to to chance the perceptions of beauty over there.

Ten days ago I recieved an email from another beginning model called Rebekah she asked me if she could join me and Shaholly on our promotion tour. She is a very beautiful girl so she’ll be joing us for a few days

Like Shaholly Ayers, Rebekah Marine was also born an upper extremity amputee below the right elbow. She got her start in modeling just 2 years ago when a friend offered to do a photo shoot with her. Since then, she has been speaking to people about embracing their own insecurities through her Facebook fan page.

For Rebekah, modeling didn’t come easy. It wasn’t until she turned 24 that she realized that she could inspire so many people – including other amputees all over the world. “It’s not easy being vulnerable and letting the world see something I’ve always tried hiding, but now I find it empowering. I enjoy talking to people about my disability; I feel like people have a better understanding of me now.” In the future, she hopes to be able to travel the world to motivate people to embrace who they truly are and to see more disabled models in the media.

Hello Hollywood #DisabilityinFashion

Watch out Hollywood, from saturday the 8th of December 2012 untill Thursday the 13th of December Disabled Models Debbie van der Putten (Amsterdam and London) and Shaholly Ayers (Hawaii) will visit Los Angeles to promote disability in fashion and media.

Debbie (27), who lost her right arm above the elbow in a buscrash in the south of france 7 years ago is well known from the reality tv hitshow “Britain’s Missing Top Model”. Working as a fulltime model she travels all over the world to promote disability in fashion. She’s represented by the worlds topleading “Ben Barry Agency” a modeling agency known for its use of diverse models that also represents America’s (only plussize) Next Top Model Winner: “Whitney Thompson” and works as the spokesperson for a worldwide campaign called Models of Diversity http://www.modelsofdiversity.org
With campaigns for fashion retailers like DiDi fashion and Fudge Hair products you can say she’s been pretty succesful.

After a very busy year in London with highlights such as a paralympic billboard campaign in London, Interviews for talkshow as ITV breakfast show & Channel4 and catwalks for brands as Sonata Lingerie, Debbie decided to ask talented model Shaholly Ayers to promote disability in Los Angeles.

Shaholly Ayers was born an upper extremity amputee, missing her right arm below the elbow. She grew up in the Oregon Cascades with the dream of one day becoming a model.
Despite the negativity she received from people in her town, Shaholly set out to make her dreams come true.
She went to a modeling agency in Honolulu, Hawaii and the agent turned her away telling her, “you will never model, no photographers will ever take your picture,” because she was missing her arm. Without an agent or manager, Shaholly represented herself and went on to grace the covers of two fashion magazines in Hawaii, has been featured in countless ads in magazines, boutiques and across the web, as well as coming close to appearing on Americas Next Top Model Cycle 13.
Legendary model and actress

Christie Brinkley had this to say about the fresh faced model:
…Shaholly is gorgeous! In her eyes I see her looking at a very bright and exciting future!
…Shaholly is not JUST A MODEL….but a role model as she reaches past any “limits’ and right for the stars!!!!!!!!People, like Shaholly who rise to the challenge, are the stuff dreams are made of!!!

Shaholly is not just a pretty face with magnetic personality; she is also intelligent and ambitious, receiving a Masters in Business Administration which she plans to put to good use in the near future.
Shaholly has always felt strongly in helping to spread awareness and knowledge of the people behind their disability. She is active within the community, having volunteered at Shriners Hospital for Children, a nonprofit hospital that cares for all children under the age of 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, cleft lip and palate, as well as amputees. Her mission is to help spread awareness and knowledge about disability. She believes that society’s view of people with disabilities is skewed, and she would like to help them realign their views. As is her slogan, There is nothing wrong with being different – Different is beautiful!

They both believe we should see a better representation of society in fashion and have shown many times disability and fashion go together.

Allthough the success of the London 2012 Paralympics had opened the public’s eyes to the talents of disabled people, we still don’t see disability in fashion

Disabled models are discriminated against in the modelling industry, but more importantly, disabled people (approx. 15% of the population) as a whole are rarely addressed in mainstream advertising. Some retailers have improved access to their web sites, others provide easier access in stores, but rarely do they address and identify with a sector of purchasers that are largely overlooked.

Debbie and Shaholly are here to make that change, and make fashion accesible for everybody.
One of the thing they will do during their trip is a fashionshoot with top photgrapher Mark Sacro who has shot pictures of celebs like Kim Kardashian, Christian Audiger and Guiliana Rancic.

If you would like to recieve more info on the girls or their campaign, send in an interview request, invite the girls for an event or book a photoshoot please contact Debbie@modelsofdiversity.org