Aspiring teen trans model with cerebral palsy breaks barriers
BRONX, New York City (WABC) -- A teenager with cerebral palsy is breaking barriers, working to become a professional a model despite physical limitations that could change the face of the fashion industry.
Seventeen-year-old Aaron Philip hasn't had an easy path. She was born with cerebral palsy and calls herself a non-binary trans woman, and yet, her dream is to be a fashion model.
And while she wouldn't be the first trans model or the first model with a disability, having both of those facets make her pretty unique. And that's why she's so driven.
"I've never seen myself, never seen people in wheelchairs, trans femmes, trans folk, represented in the high fashion world or retail," Philip said. "So I grew up and wanted to become a model in order to provide my community with the representation we can get in the fashion world."
So far, she's making her mark with campaigns for H&M and Asos. She's also in "Them" magazine, a new publication by Conde Nast. And she is getting paid.
"It's very gratifying to know you're able to put in labor and get something back," she said. "It's a real job."
She's already in talks to for two shows during New York Fashion Week, and then in September, she'll be headed back to high school for senior year.
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