Designer Carrie Hammer uses “role models” instead of “runway models,” including a woman in a wheelchair and a woman with four prosthetic limbs.
Fashion designer Carrie Hammer's mission is to make stylish workwear for underserved professional women.
Her efforts aren't just focused on the design aspect; in her runway shows, she started a campaign to use "Role Models Not Runway Models," including accomplished women of different sizes and abilities with empowering stories.
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In February, Karen Crespo, a 30-year-old from Los Angeles, contacted Hammer to tell her how inspired she was to see a woman in a wheelchair at the designer's spring 2014 show.
"I was so thrilled and moved that a designer welcomed someone with a disability on the runway," Crespo wrote. "You don't see that often, and I hope it really opens doors for people with disabilities. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes — there's absolutely no right or wrong."
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When Hammer received the letter, detailing how Crespo had contracted bacterial meningitis resulting in the loss of all four limbs, she was so moved that she asked her to walk in her fall show.
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On Sept. 5th, Crespo became the first quadruple-amputee to walk in New York Fashion Week.
"I had no role models," Crespo said, "and I want to be that person for someone."
Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz F Craig Barritt
