Italy-Alsharqiya, August 15: After fashion for successive decades was directed to a specific segment of the recipients, today it has become more comprehensive and humane to address all segments of humanity. Those in charge of this industry became aware of the importance of adding a human dimension to their message and production, and they were keen to include groups that had always been marginalized. Thus, the world of fashion adopts the principle of inclusiveness and diversity, so that it sometimes occupies a full space in offers and advertising marketing. In this report, we have a tour of many examples of “different” models leading the fashion scene, as well as two interviews conducted by “Madam” with designers Sarah Beydoun and Taleen Arslanian, to confirm that fashion may be an escape from pain, and sometimes it is a successful medicine for it, but it colors our days. Monotony with the pen of creativity, so that calamities become less severe, and to teach humanity deep lessons in solidarity and solidarity...

The world of fashion has changed and has become a new space for diversity, and its curators are now addressing humanity in all its facets. Today we see fashion models who are characterized by moral and physical challenges. They are beautiful, they dared to change the reality of the fashion world by breaking barriers and transforming stereotyped thinking so that fashion becomes more human and closer to people's reality.

We start with Sofia Jirau, the first model to make international headlines by being the first advertising face with Down syndrome, and she appeared in a Victoria’s Secret campaign, fulfilling a dream she had since childhood.

Also joining this world is Jillian Mercado, who began her career as a student at the Institute of Fashion in New York. Due to her muscular dystrophy (a degeneration caused by a group of diseases that cause muscle weakness and a gradual loss of muscle mass), Mercado uses a wheelchair, and today she is one of the most prominent models with a physical disability. Jillian has worked with many famous fashion brands, such as Diesel, or the American store Nordstrom. She even appeared in a campaign promoting Beyonce's music.

To American model Rebekah Marine, who was born without a right arm replaced by a bionic arm. Today, Rebecca finds continuous success on fashion platforms all over the world, especially after her participation in New York Fashion Week, in 2015.

African-American model Diandra Forrest holds the distinction of being the first albino model to be represented by major modeling agency Skorpion MGMT. She has been featured on the cover of Ebony magazine, and Kanye West has appeared in Kanye “Ye” West’s video.

Madeline Stuart also revolutionized the modeling world. In 2015, the 19-year-old Australian model had the opportunity to participate in New York Fashion Week. She then collaborated with fitness brand Manifesta and became the first model with Down syndrome to land a collaboration with beauty brand Glossigirl.

But it was Winnie Harlowe, who suffers from vitiligo, who broke the stereotypes of the supermodel. She has garnered public acclaim as she has walked catwalks around the world and appeared in campaigns for high-profile brands such as Fendi, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, and Victoria's Secret. Winnie has opened the way for many people with physical and moral challenges to embrace the world of beauty and creativity without conditions and discrimination.

The world of modeling is embracing diversity and breaking down stereotypes, becoming more inclusive and breaking down the unfair norms that have dominated the industry for far too long.

One of the most important and empowering aspects of inclusivity is the celebration of all body sizes. In the past, the fashion industry was mostly influenced by the unrealistically skinny body model. Not only does this transformation challenge unrealistic beauty standards, but it also promotes body positivity and self-acceptance. In doing so, today's fashion industry is sending a powerful message to people who have long felt excluded or marginalized because of their body shapes. Today, the industry provides platforms for people to see themselves represented in fashion and the media. This representation is necessary to promote ideas of acceptance and self-love, as individuals can finally realize that their bodies are beautiful and worth celebrating. She also joins the group of different sizes, pregnant models who have become their share on the catwalks such as Gigi Hadid, Alessandra Ambrosio, Bianca Balti, Ashleigh Good...

In addition to the above, today's fashion world favors ethnic and cultural diversity. In this regard, fashion agencies are taking steps to prioritize diversity and inclusion, while making efforts to recruit and represent models from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while recognizing the importance of inclusivity in the industry. Through the increasing recognition and celebration of racial and cultural diversity, positive steps have been taken to push the fashion world forward, all by adopting models from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. At the forefront of models of different ethnicities than white skin, supermodel Naomi Campbell emerged, followed by Halima Aden, and others.

The fashion industry's inclusive approach includes adopting models of all ages. This approach defies ageism, celebrating the beauty and grace that comes with age. By representing models over the age of 35, the role challenges anti-aging discrimination and provides opportunities for models from the older generations to showcase their talents and unique beauty. Most notably, the nineties supermodels who occupied the Versace podium in Milan in 2017, to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Gianni Versace's death.

Two people do not disagree that the bright and luminous face of the fashion world does not lie in its mere lines and designs, but rather in its ability to bring joy and spread positive energy, just as the sunbeam spreads its light in the early morning hours.

The best proof of this is the experience of the designer Sarah Baydoun, who entered the “Dar Al-Amal” to rehabilitate women as a student in sociology, and came out of it with the idea of employing these women who have been released from prison or are still under punishment, by teaching them the craft of knitting to implement the bags that started Designed by Sarah in the year 2000, they earn their livelihood and improve their living conditions.

Thus, Sarah Beydoun, by training them and including them in her crew, contributed to improving the conditions of imprisonment experienced by these women, and to providing for their children in a decent manner. She also asked those women to teach others who wished to master a craft and earn a living in the village in which they live. Those bags that Queen Rania Al-Abdullah and Beyonce carried are not just a good-quality accessory, but a passport to a new life full of hope for outcast women who lost the opportunity for a decent life, so life, through Sarah, gave them another chance to fix what was spoiled. It's a second chance to learn from past mistakes with every stitch of a needle or every colorful bead affixed to a bag. Today, Sarah’s Bag has expanded to include caftans, beach dresses, scarves, and accessories accompanying the bag. Among the most important collaborations launched by the Lebanese house in the year 2022 with the Chloe brand, which met with Sarah under the slogan “Women Empowerment and Passion for Handicrafts”, so the iconic Chloe Bag called Woody was renewed, and it was executed from crochet and wood, while making sure to introduce modern materials such as Resin and Perspex, which have become the identity of the house. Malak, Sarah's sister, who studied fashion marketing, has also recently joined the crew, and the brand has risen to the ranks of the world.