The world of fashion is cutthroat, competitive, and very much focused on the outside instead of the inside. This is true even where younger models are concerned. They learn very early on that in order to do what they love, they will have to develop a thick skin. It's a lesson taught by designers and by the big clothing companies whether the models are ready to learn it or not.
Wet Seal is stepping away from the pack and making a change for good. They recently hired aspiring model 17-year-old Karrie Brown to be the face of their new campaign. On the surface, Karrie sounds like just another model. A very tall, pretty girl, who describes her personal style as being that of a "biker chick." But Karrie is different than most commercial models in one way. She has Down syndrome.
Karrie's dreams of modeling came true, after Wet Seal saw photos of her on a fan page created by her mother. Karrie's photos quickly gained a lot of positive feedback. Overnight her pics had more than 10,000 likes! Wet Seal noticed and asked her to come model for them.
Karrie's beauty, style, and amazing energy make her a natural. Her ability in front of the camera should have other more close-minded companies (I'm looking at you, Abercrombie) re-evaluating how they pick the faces that represent their brand. Karrie's an amazing example of what true beauty looks like.
Do you think other stores should follow Wet Seal's lead?
Image via Instagram