Fashion for all
GLAMOUR South Africa|Spring 2021/September 2021
Stylist Thobeka Maduna Mbane and model and fashion student Laura Meyer talk about their experiences in the fashion industry as differently-abled people.
NELLA ETKIND
Fashion for all

The fashion industry is about standing out and being unusual, so, it’s perplexing that its global communities still shy away from people who look different. More people of colour must be represented.

Curvy models are an example of change. But one community is still excluded.

On an icy Saturday morning in Cape Town, I hopped on a Zoom call with stylist Thobeka Maduna Mbane and model and fashion student Laura Meyer. They explored the nuances of their daily challenges, discussing what’s needed to create a more inclusive space in fashion.

Laura explained she’s officially been modeling for six months, as her primary focus has been on completing an Honours degree at FEDISA. Currently based in the Eastern Cape, she’s signed with Topco Models in Cape Town. Working with “an agency that also wants to make a change” has propelled her into the public eye, where she’s had the opportunity to work with jewelry brand Lorne and to share her fashion journey with the Cape Town Fashion Council.

This story is from the Spring 2021/September 2021 edition of GLAMOUR South Africa.

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This story is from the Spring 2021/September 2021 edition of GLAMOUR South Africa.

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