LIVINGSTON, NJ — A 7-year-old Livingston resident diagnosed with Mowat-Wilson syndrome—a rare condition that presents delayed development and the potential for medical challenges—recently proved that she will not let these challenges define her when she modeled for Runway of Dreams (ROD), a local nonprofit that aims to empower people with disabilities through fashion.
Rebekah Skolnick’s modeling adventure began in 2019 when her mother, Beth, met ROD founder Mindy Scheier, a fellow Livingston resident with a differently abled child who created the local nonprofit in order to “empower people with disabilities to have confidence and self-expression through fashion and beauty inclusion.”
“Rebekah is a fun-loving girl who expresses herself with gestures and uses an iPad to assist with communication,” said Beth. “Rebekah has shown her family, friends and community that with hard work, concentration and support you can accomplish so much.”
In 2019, local photographer Jody Gianni took professional photos of Rebekah that were submitted to Gamut just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this year, her mother was notified that Rebekah had been selected to apply for admission to the 2022 Runway Show for New York Fashion Week. Once she was accepted, the family was told that Rebekah would be modeling clothing from Kohl’s adaptive line.
“Rebekah connected with her assigned volunteer immediately and spent the day walking around saying ‘hi’ to everyone,” said Beth. “She loved having her hair and makeup done in front of a lit up mirror with everyone around her.”
Beth spoke of Rebekah enjoying rehearsals as she mingled with others, smiled for cameras and danced to the music.
“She loved the snacks and made friends, and now we are all connected on Instagram,” she said. “The encouragement of the incredible crowd got her moving to the beat.”
Beth noted that the professional photos and videos “told Rebekah’s story” and demonstrated her enthusiasm for modeling adaptive clothing that perfectly fit her and others with specific needs.
Rebekah’s mother praised ROD for guiding the models every step of the way by providing constant communication filled with specific instructions outlining all expectations for the show. She also raved about ROD’s mission of ensuring that the clothing fits differently abled individuals.
“The adapted clothing and footwear companies featured have created purposeful clothing to meet everyone’s needs,” she said. “ROD has made it possible to find adaptive clothing in stores, making it accessible to all. A few of the special features are roomy leggings for Rebekah’s orthotics, seamless/tagless clothing and loops to help her to get dressed.”
According to Scheier, ROD works to give people with disabilities access to “fashion that excites and empowers them.”
“We also raise awareness, educate consumers, advocate for industry change, develop the next generation of design innovators and provide access to fashionable adaptive apparel,” said Scheier, who has also developed Gamut Management to help corporations become more inclusive by providing differently abled models, accreditation and consulting services.
Being a special guest for the day, pampered with makeup and hairstyling, wearing fun clothes, walking the runway and meeting new friends make ROD a fantastic experience for the models, according to participant.
Article Credits: Tap Into Livingston
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