Lauren Wasser, the American model who hit the headlines last year when she revealed that she had lost her leg to Toxic Shock Syndrome, has made her New York Fashion Week debut.
The 28-year-old, who had half her leg and all of her toes amputated after contracting TSS in 2012, took to the runway at the Chromat show earlier this week. A US label that was featured in Taylor Swift’s ubiquitous Bad Blood video - remember Zendaya and Karlie Kloss’s no-messing-around outfits? - Chromat is known for its architecturally inspired lingerie, swim and activewear designs, many of which use a signature cage design.
Lauren, who worked as a model in Los Angeles before her operation, wore a black cage dress teamed with black leather boots, along with a hi-tec dress covered in LED lights. She was joined on the catwalk by a diverse group of models, including transgender artist Juliana Huxtable, plus size models Sabina Karlsson and Denise Bidot, and Isis King, the first ever transgender contest on America’s Next Top Model.
It’s an uncomfortable truth that high fashion is not the most inclusive of spheres, but with Lauren and Down’s Syndrome model Madeline Stuart both stealing the show at Fashion Week, it seems that brands across the pond are slowly starting to challenge and question traditional beauty norms – which can only be a good thing. Your move, London…