The Model

My head is a bit full this month as I’m completing my climate sustainability course, & then I have an exam.  Instead of a full blog, I thought I’d share some pink joy – which means that I’ve been modelling again for Breast Cancer Now!

Photo credit: Stephane Cony.

Clothes: A mixture of my own and pieces donated to Breast Cancer Now.

Alt text: A white-skinned, middle-aged woman sitting in her manual wheelchair, in a photographic studio.  Her body is turned to one side & she’s smiling.  She has shoulder-length brown/grey, straightened hair.  She’s wearing a lot of pink – pink/brown, round glasses, a pink feather boa around her neck, a shiny, pink, metallic jacket with a pink sports top underneath & a long, pink, pleated skirt.

I’ve always wanted to try modelling.  Thanks to Breast Cancer Now, I’ve had the opportunity to do that three times with them.  As well as it being a lot of fun, it’s also a way in which I can raise the issue that disabled people are still largely missing from the cancer conversation.

You can read the full story of why I’m a volunteer model here and what the #WearItPink campaign is all about.

Suzanne’s story | Breast Cancer Now

The following photos are a mix of ‘behind the scenes’ footage, shot by my partner Stephane Cony, & the Breast Cancer Now’s photographer & videographer.

I’m not revealing these photos as a shameless bit of self-promotion (honestly!) It’s more because of how I feel about myself.  I’m a middle-aged woman with numerous surgical scars from countless operations due to my impairment, & a couple from my lumpectomy, I’ve got wonky ears & a wonky spine, I’ve got a huge hole in my right breast & really bad teeth.  What I’m trying to say is that if I can model & be made to feel special for the day, then anyone can.

I’m actually so delighted to see that more & more disabled people are on the covers of fashion magazines & on the runway of London Fashion Show.  I’m thrilled that more disabled designers are coming onto the scene & brands are starting to embrace accessible clothing.  More equipment designed for disabled people is looking so much better than the ugly ‘grey hospital look.’  Finally ortho shoe wear has come up in the world – I can’t believe my hospital-made trainers look like a trainer brand beginning with ‘G’ 😉 

A huge thank you to the Kinie, Aicha & the Wear It Pink team – love you!!!!!  

Behind the scenes

Photo credit: Stephane Cony

Alt text: A photographic studio, painted white, with black drapes & equipment like camera tripods.  There is a grey background & floor covering at the end of the studio which forms the photo shoot area.  Partially hidden, there is a man looking at a device in his hand, wearing black jeans & trainers, & a checked green & black jacket.  Just in the corner in the foreground, there is a manual wheelchair with thick, black tyres.

Alt text: The same photographic studio.  This time, the same man & another young, diverse woman, wearing a pink ‘Breast Cancer Now’ t-shirt, pink trainers, black trousers & clear glasses, are talking to the same woman in her wheelchair.  She’s talking & laughing with both the man & the woman, in the area set up for photos.  She wears almost the same clothes, but with a different jacket – this is now a pink, tasselled jacket, embroidered with velvet flowers.  She also wears blue trainers.

The campaign photos

Photo credit: Breast Cancer Now.

Alt text: A close-up shot of the same woman sitting in her wheelchair, in the same studio.  She is wearing a pink, felt hat with a wide brim, a pink, tasselled jacket embroidered with flowers & fauna in velvet, a pink dress, & pink, leopard-skin leggings with two white stripes up each leg.  She has a handbag across her shoulder.  It’s pink velvet with a gold-coloured, metal strap, & there is a flower,made of cotton with a rose print, sewed onto the front of the bag.  The bag also has a gold, metal handle & a matching clasp.

Alt text: A wider, sideways shot of the same woman sitting in her wheelchair in the same studio.  She has turned to face the camera. She wears a pink clip in her hair, a pink plastic necklace that spells out ‘Suz’, a pink, metallic jacket which is unzipped to reveal a pink sports top.  She is also wearing a long, pink, pleated skirt & blue trainers.

Alt text: A close-up shot of the same white woman in the same studio.  She is looking relaxed.  She is wearing a pink, fun-faux jacket with black shapes on it, round, brown/pink glasses, a pink t-shirt with a cartoon of the US country singer Dolly Parton, praying, & text that says ‘Saint Dolly.’  She wears a pink necklace which spells out ‘Suz’ in pink plastic & pink leopard-skin leggings with two white stripes up the side of each leg.  She has a sticker from the charity ‘CoppaFeel’ stuck onto one side guard of her wheelchair.