I-Amputee Model Shaholly Ayers Iphula Izithiyo Kwimfashini

-Delile

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U-Shaholly Ayers wazalwa ngaphandle kwengalo yakhe yangakwesokudla, kepha lokhu akuzange kumvimbe emaphusheni akhe okuba imodeli. Namuhla uthathe izwe lezemfashini ngesivunguvungu, efuna omagazini abaningi kanye namakhathalogi, uyinxusa lomkhiqizo leGlobal Disability Inclusion, futhi waba ngowokuqala oshunqwe izithupha ukuhamba eNew York Fashion Week ngaphandle kokufakelwa. (Okuhlobene: I-NYFW Isibe Yikhaya Lokulondolozwa Komzimba Nokufakwa, futhi Asikwazanga Ukuzikhukhumeza)

"Ngiseyingane, ngangingazi nokuthi ngihlukile," kusho u-Ayers. "Bengineminyaka emithathu ngizwa okokuqala igama elithi 'ukukhubazeka."

Noma kunjalo, akazange aqaphele ukuthi igama lisho ukuthini ngempela aze abe sebangeni lesithathu. “Yilapho engaqala khona ukuxhashazwa futhi ngalandelwa ngoba ngangihlukile,” usho kanje. "Futhi lokho kwaqhubeka kwaze kwafinyelela emazingeni aphezulu futhi kancane kuya esikoleni esiphakeme."

Iminyaka eminingi, u-Ayers ezabalaza ukubhekana neqiniso lokuthi abantu bamphatha kabi ngenxa nje yokukhubazeka kwakhe. Ngaleso sikhathi, kwakungekho lutho ayengeke akunikeze ukushintsha umbono wabo. "Ngiyakhumbula ngihleli ekilasini phezulu phezulu ngalesi sikhathi esisodwa futhi ngicabanga kakhulu ukwehluka ngoba ngaleso sikhathi babengekho o-Amy Purdys emhlabeni-noma okungenani babengaboniswa, okwangenza ngazizwa ngikhishwe inyumbazana ngokuphelele, "U-Ayers uyakhumbula. "Wonke umuntu wayengicasukela, kusukela kwengifunda nabo kuya kothisha bami, futhi lokho kwakungenza ngizizwe ngingumuntu omubi nakuba ngangazi ukuthi angiyena. Kungaleso sikhathi lapho ngacabanga khona, 'Yini engingayenza ukuze ngiguqule imiqondo yabantu. ngami nendlela abakubuka ngayo ukukhubazeka?' futhi ngangazi ukuthi kufanele kube yinto ebonakalayo."

Kwakuqala ngqa ukuthi umqondo wokumodela ufike emqondweni wakhe, kepha bekungeke kube ngemuva kwesikhathi ukuthi empeleni akwenze lokho.

“Ngangineminyaka engu-19 ngesikhathi ngiba nesibindi sokungena enkampanini yokumodela,” kusho yena. "Kodwa zisuka nje ebhentshini, ngatshelwa ukuthi angisoze ngangena embonini ngoba nginengalo eyodwa kuphela."

Lokho kwenqatshwa kokuqala kwaba buhlungu, kepha kwanika u-Ayers amandla okuqhubeka nokuqhubekela phambili. “Leso kwaba yisikhathi esikhulu kimina ngoba yilapho ngabona khona ukuthi kufanele ngiphumelele, ngibakhombise ukuthi banephutha nabo bonke ababengabaza ukuthi angilona iqiniso,” kusho yena. Futhi yilokho kanye akwenzayo.

Ngemuva kokunamathela emsebenzini wakhe weminyaka, ekugcineni wathola ithuba lakhe lokuqala elikhulu ngo-2014 lapho evezwe kukhathalogi yeNordstrom's Anniversary Sale. "Ngibonga kakhulu ngokuba nethuba elihle kangaka lokusebenza neNordstrom," esho. "Bangibuze kaninginingi kuyo yonke le minyaka futhi lokho kungikhombisa nje ukuthi bazinikele kangakanani ekwenzeni ushintsho futhi kufakazela ukuthi batshale imali enhlobonhlobo." (Okuhlobene: Ngingu-Amputee futhi ngiQeqesha-Kepha Abanginyathelanga Ejimeni Ngaze Ngangineminyaka engama-36)

U-Ayers usanda kuvezwa kukhathalogi yakhe yesithathu ye-Nordstrom, lapho abonakala khona egqoke isitho sokufakelwa okokuqala.

Yize kumangalisa ukubona umkhiqizo omkhulu onjengeNordstrom umele imodeli ekhubazekile, u-Ayers uphawula ukuthi kungomunye wabambalwa ukwenza umzamo oqinile. “I-Nordstrom ike yaba yi-trailblazer kodwa inhloso wukuthi nezinye izinkampani ezinkulu zenze okufanayo,” usho kanje. "Kuyinto eyodwa ukufaka onobuhle abakhubazekile ngokombono wokumelwa, kepha ngokombono wezezimali nowezimali, abantu abakhubazekile bangelinye lamaqembu amakhulu emhlabeni. Umuntu oyedwa kwabahlanu unokukhubazeka futhi siyathenga imikhiqizo, ngakho-ke ngalokho kuwukuwina kweminye imikhiqizo emikhulu njengamanje entula ukwehluka emikhankasweni yabo kazwelonke. "

U-Ayers unethemba lokuthi njengoba ukwehlukahlukana nokumeleleka kwanda emhlabeni wemfashini, abantu abakhubazekile noma abangakhubazekile bazowamukela ngokwengeziwe amaphutha nokuhlukana kwabo. "Sonke sizizwa njenge-oddball ngesinye isikhathi ezimpilweni zethu," esho. "Kodwa nakuba kunzima ukuphila nezinto ezingavamile, ngiye ngafunda ukuthi kungcono ngaso sonke isikhathi ukugona futhi ungabi namahloni."

"Uhambo oluya ezingeni lokuthi ukhululeke esikhunjeni sakho," esho ehlanganyela, "kodwa qhubeka nokusebenza ngakho futhi uzofika lapho."

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