Rebekah Marine, a model with an i-limb quantum prosthetic hand, will walk in New York Fashion Week on Sept. 13 in the FTL Moda show.
The 28-year-old was born without a right forearm. She was told at a young age that she wouldn’t have a future in modeling. She quickly gave up the idea, went back to school and worked a more traditional full-time job.
That wasn't enough for her — she decided to start modeling when she was fitted for a prosthesis about four years ago. She realized she could turn her disability into something inspirational and become a spokesperson.
Now, with her i-limb quantum — one of the more advanced prosthetic hands made with gesture control technology — she was embraced by some in the industry. Marine walked in February’s NYFW and shot with Nordstrom for its 2015 anniversary catalog.
Others still struggle to see past her disability.
“Being a model with a disability has been extremely difficult over the past couple years,” she tellsMashable. “Agencies often won't even look at my portfolio. But I've come to realize it's all about finding your niche. I've accepted that most clients may not want to work with me based on my ‘disability.’”
Marine is joining other models with disabilities, such as 18-year-old Madeline Stuart, a model with Down syndrome who will also be strutting down the FTL Moda runway.
“It's so important to include more diverse models, because after all, nearly one in five people in America have a disability,” Marine says. “We should be celebrating uniqueness, not conforming to what the media thinks is beautiful.”
See how the i-limb quantum works in the video below:
IMAGE: REBEKAH MARINE
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