Will 2015 be the year the fashion industry fully embraces diversity?
It's certainly shaping up to look that way. Yesterday, children's footwear brand Livie & Luca debuted its Fall 2015 lookbook, and Cora Slocum, a 4-year-old model with Down syndrome, is featured prominently in the campaign.
Slocum, along with other children from the San Fransisco area, was picked for the revolutionary campaign as part of the brand's #ImGoingBackToSchoolToo initiative that aims to promote inclusiveness and equality for kids with disabilities.
To further the campaign, Livie & Luca partnered with Changing the Face of Beauty, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing diversity within the entertainment industry -- especially the representation of those with disabilities.
This isn't the first time a model with a disability fronted a campaign; just a few days ago, we showed you Madeline Stuart, an 18-year-old model with Down syndrome who will be walking in this year's New York Fashion Week.
Livie & Luca's campaign, however, is especially powerful because it targets a younger age group, and thus, it has an opportunity to change perspectives early on.
Changing the Face of Beauty's Katie Driscoll told Mashable, "Back to school is such a critical time for kids."
She added, "It's important for [us] that companies see the 13 [percent] of kids... going back to school with a disability."
For Cora's mother, it's more about changing perspectives.
She told ABC News, “If by having her picture out there kind of changes people's minds and perceptions and stereotypes, then I think that's a good move in the right direction."
It's not just about disability, though. The campaign hopes to increase the visibility of all minorities...
...and the models were selected to further that goal.
As part of the campaign, Livie & Luca pledged to match all donations made to Changing the Face of Beauty.
Learn more and donate here!
Citations: 4 year old with Down syndrome stars in back to school ads (Mashable)
