A 12-year-old girl has been surprised with her own billboard after campaigning for greater disability representation in fashion.
Carmela Chillery-Watson MBE, from Wiltshire, lives with LMNA congenital muscular dystrophy – a progressive muscle-wasting condition.
On Wednesday, she was given a surprise at the Arches on Cheltenham Road in Bristol, when she turned a corner with her family and saw herself on a billboard for the very first time.
It was organised by the Bristol Fashion Show, a volunteer-run collective of designers and artists from across the South West who work to create a platform “for those too often overlooked by the fashion industry”.
“I had no clue what was going to happen, it was a bit of a mystery coming here,” said Carmela.
“I never been on a billboard before, so that’s amazing.”
Currently living in Dorset, Carmela said it was important for people “with all abilities to be able to do fashion” and she hoped to see catwalk shows include more people from disabled backgrounds.
The 12-year-old continued: “Wheelchairs, walkers, walking sticks… I really hope in the future it will become more normalised.”
Carmela has been part of the Bristol Fashion Show since she was five and taken part in various catwalks.
Carmela has raised thousands of pounds for both Muscular Dystrophy UK and Julia’s House Hospice in the past and has often completed her fundraisers while dressed in superhero costumes.
In December, she became the youngest person ever to receive an MBE when she met Prince William at Windsor Castle.
Mum Lucy said there were “no words” to express her pride for her daughter and the new billboard.
“I’m so excited and proud of her,” she said.
“Growing up, Carmela loved to dress up and we signed her up with some modelling agencies aged five but she just wasn’t getting any jobs after a few years.
“She turned round and asked me ‘am I ugly? Do they not want me to model for them?’ So I took it upon myself… and found the Bristol Fashion Show.”
Organisers of the Bristol Fashion Show said they wanted to continue to increase the inclusivity with their event, considering factors like age, disability and background.
Butzi Schlaadt, who founded the show in 2012, still remembers when Carmela first got involved.
She recalled: “Her mum rang me six or seven years ago and said it was her [Carmela’s] dream to model, and I said, ‘of course she can model’. She’s been with us ever since, she’s incredible.”
This year’s Bristol Fashion Show will take place on 1 November. The show raises money for Cure4Carmela, her family’s fundraising initiative which supports Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Co-organiser Charly Evans said she had spoken to Carmela about her hopes for this year’s show – and found out many people with disabilities, hidden and visible, did not feel represented.
“We felt it was our mission to change that,” she said.
“We have given all our designers the challenge this year to design an outfit for someone with a disability, visible or invisible, and they are working with the models directly.”
Credit: BBC
