Grace Strobel, a model with Down Syndrome, modeling for Alivia, an inclusive fashion brand.
Grace Strobel has been making waves in the fashion industry for several years as a model, with her stunning photos seen around America and the world. She's quickly becoming a household name, as people learn about the 24-year-old who has Down Syndrome, from her appearances on local and national television and in the media.
This year, Strobel, from St. Louis, Missouri, was asked to participate in a campaign that fell close to her and her family's hearts: she modeled for Alivia, a womenswear brand inspired by the artistic expressions of individuals with developmental disabilities. The brand launched in April, and every piece of clothing begins as original artwork - created by someone with a disability - and is then transformed into bold prints and embroidery on apparel.
"It was exciting and fun. I love the dresses, and the whole shoot was a dream come true," Grace said.
Grace Strobel, alongside another model, at a photoshoot for Alivia, an inclusive fashion brand.
The photoshoot was held the last weekend of June in Kansas City, Missouri. Grace got to model multiple looks and garments of clothing in various landscapes and with different backgrounds from beautiful fields to the cityscape. The pictures were posted on the fashion brand's website just a few weeks later.
"It means the world to us for Grace to represent a brand that believes in everything we're doing, and brings respect and dignity to people with disabilities," said Linda Strobel, Grace's mother.
"What Alivia is doing is changing the landscape for people with disabilities."
Although one in four adults in the United States is living with a disability, there is an immense lack of representation when it comes to the workforce, media coverage and Hollywood in general. Models with disabilities are few and far between and are often not depicted in major national or international fashion campaigns.
For that reason, modeling wasn't always on the horizon for Grace. In fact, just three years ago, she was working in a high school lunchroom. One day, while working, Grace was confronted by a group of kids who started teasing her. Her mom, who was also her job coach and on-site at the time, saw the commotion.
"They were all lined up around Grace, so I walked over to the table, and I said, 'Hey guys, can I help you?' Linda said. "And they said 'No, we want her to help us.'"
"I asked why and they started busting out laughing and said, 'Oh, because we know she can't do it.' Grace's eyes got big, and her face went ash white, and then she broke down crying."
That incident began the journey of a lifetime for Linda and Grace. They were inspired to start The Grace Effect, a presentation for schools about overcoming obstacles, treating people with kindness and respect, and living with a disability. Grace and Linda have presented to around 3,000 students at over 100 schools about what it’s like to live with a disability.
Grace Strobel speaks to students about living as a person with Down Syndrome.
What sets The Grace Effect apart, though, is its interactivity. It includes role-playing for the students to participate and to truly understand the life of someone with Down Syndrome. For instance, they came up with a method of showing how low muscle tone affects people with the genetic disorder.
"We asked the kids to sit in a chair and then get up, and then we asked them to sit in a bean bag chair with a backpack on and then get up, and they saw how hard it was, and we said 'That's what people with Down Syndrome feel like every day,’" Linda said.
Grace Strobel speaks to students about living with a disability.
The mother-daughter team also demonstrated other issues some people with Down Syndrome face, like imbalance and poor vision. They had students walk over Bozu balls and use binoculars. They also wanted to show their audiences how fine motor skills are impacted, so they had each student put on a shirt with tiny little buttons and gloves. They were then instructed to try to button up the shirt while wearing the gloves.
Aside from the interactive elements, the presentation also includes videos and information about Down Syndrome. Linda and Grace spent months researching the disability. As they were Googling information for their Grace Effect presentation, they came across Ellie Goldstein, a model with Down Syndrome from Essex, England, who was recently selected to be the face of Gucci's color cosmetics campaign.
"I saw an article about Ellie, and I asked my mom if I could be a model," Grace said. "And she said 'I don't see why not! Let's do this.'"
From there, the journey to modeling began.
In the summer of 2018, Grace had her first photo shoot, with the photos posted on Facebook and social media. The pictures went viral, and before they knew it, Grace was being asked to speak at various functions and model for different publications. She's since modeled in 14 different magazines, had three cover stories, and was even asked to speak on NBC's The Today Show in 2019.
"It was cool," Grace said. "I was so excited."
Jovana Mullins, the cofounder of Alivia, just so happened to be watching Grace's appearance on the morning news show and knew that she wanted her to model for the fashion brand's upcoming campaign. She contacted Grace and Linda, and the rest is history.
Grace Strobel models for Alivia, an inclusive fashion brand's, new campaign.
"Grace is such an incredible woman and is paving the way for other women with disabilities," Mullins said. "She's showing the world how many abilities she has and the incredible things she can do."
Alivia is working on making all aspects of their supply-chain inclusive with the hope to create adaptable clothing too.
“We hope it inspires other companies and fashion brands and society in general,” Mullins said. “This shouldn’t be a newsworthy thing - every company should be doing this.”
As for Grace, she’s been signed by three different agencies and was even featured in Lady Gaga's Born This Way foundation. She recently signed to be an ambassador for Obaji skincare's Skinclusion campaign.
Her hope for the future? To keep advocating for people with disabilities like herself, voices that are often unheard, and to model for other brands like Hollister, Chanel, or Versace.
"I want to keep on modeling and speaking," Grace said. "And have people rethink what's possible."
