I’ve been on board with DL Models now under their SHINE membership for a couple of months now after I was approached on instagram by Debbie-Lyn herself. I love dopamine dressing so to document my outfits I’ve had many a photo taken of me by my Dad and wife, but that has led me to live with the ‘poser’ status. But that’s all in private – in front of people it’s a whole other ball game! So when it came to doing my first catwalk, I was anxious to say the least… but The Inclusive Catwalk turned out to be the safest place to be my true, authentic self on the runway, whilst I found my confidence.
The Inclusive Fashion Show: Birmingham
DL Models hosted their 3rd Inclusive Fashion Show (TIFS) at The Great Barr Hotel in Birmingham on Saturday 21st June 2025. It featured brands such as Fighting for Fair Fashion, DL Sustainable, Cool Crutches, Seated Sewing and Topsy Curvy (the latter being the sponsor for the whole show). The show featured many DL Models and models not affiliated with DL who had attended a separate casting day, or who had been individually selected by the specific brands to be there.
My TIFS
Before the show we had a workshop to learn/practice (depending on your prior experience – and for me it was learn given I had none) on the catwalk which was so helpful. A runway coach hired by DL Models taught us how to walk (or me to wheel), how to pose, when to do what, and spoke about the day as a whole which was helpful as an autistic person, but to help me as a model specifically, the guidance was helpful. On the day, Shannon, an experienced model and wheelchair user who works for DL Models also took myself and a few others off separately (those who use wheelchairs) to have some extra coaching on wheelchair specific modelling positions which was very helpful. This coaching made me feel prepared for the runway.
Before the runway, we had a press release where we all had to dress up and get snapped by the photographers by the sponsorship boards prior to the show…
I took part in 4 runways: Fighting for Fair Fashion; DL Sustainable; Cool Crutches; Topsy Curvy.
Topsy Curvy Photographer: Nigel Woods
DL Sustainable Photographer Photographer: Nigel Woods
Cool Crutches Photography: Diamond Class Photography
Fighting for Fair Fashion Photography: Diamond Class Photography
Each runway had it’s perks and I loved them all individually; I love the message behind Fighting for Fair Fashion – there is a need for more disabled bodies in the fashion industry, and particularly disability is not represented in casual and streetwear; I felt badass with my new walking stick from cool crutches because mobility aids are power; the DL sustainable robe had me feeling confident about modelling in a bikini because hell yeah all bodies are bikini bodies and that includes fat people! but for me, the cherry on the cake (maybe I shouldn’t use that analogy when I’m allergic to cherries, but), the runway that topped the day off for me was of course Topsy Curvy; walking for Topsy was a dream come true. I am obsessed with Topsy Curvy, no word of a lie – we believe (based on counting roughly) that I own about 50 dresses from Topsy… and that doesn’t account for the skirts, shirts, trousers, hoodies, leggings, other trousers, PJs and other things I own by the brand… so I own a lot of Topsy clothing. Some might say I’m a bit of a fan. But regardless of my fan status, Topsy were just a pleasure to walk for. Before the catwalk, Jo and Nat gathered up all of their models and took us outside (and it was nice to get that breath of fresh air to be honest) to tell us their plan, to go through the schedule with us and to give us a little pep talk – that boost of motivation was really what I needed to go out there and shine! They also really encouraged us to have fun with it which shines through in what has now been seen as the ‘classic Lauren’ pose on the runway, being cutesy. By having fun I felt the most confident I ever have been and enjoyed it the most, so I think I need to always let my true, authentic bubbly self shine through on the runway as that is what made me feel most at at ease. Plus the whole vibe was dopamine dressing-core alongside a vibe of a need for accessibility and a sprinkle of fat and fabulous!
Making the day accessible
As a neurodivergent physically disabled wheelchair user, diverse accessibility was important to me on the day of TIFS. It was important that my needs were met as an AuDHD model, but also that the venue had level access and I could get around in my wheelchair with no issue.
Firstly, I felt affirmed as a neurodivergent person from before we had even had the workshop (the workshop was sort of like a dress rehearsal, only it was educational and we were guided and given feedback as well as running through the show and trying on outfits); they had set us up with ‘buddies’ in a smart sort of way. I was matched with someone else who was AuDHD, and they had done the show before. This set my mind at ease because I could ask them questions about previous TIFS… however it was also good for them as they were younger and quite shy, so they had an older, more ambiverted AuDHD person to look up to and confide in.
Another way the day was made accessible was the addition of ramps. Ramps were added at added at every needed juncture to make The Great Barr Hotel an accessible venue (I also believe they had accessible hotel rooms for those who stayed onsite)
We were also in a room with air conditioning (not all of the rooms had air con) which made a huge difference because there were so many bodies in the room and people radiating that much heat really warmed it up even with the room being cooled down.
They also had a big range of sizes catering to a large range of people. This was really heartwarming as a plus sized person, to be catered for and to be surrounded by people who look like me. It wasn’t even just one brand that had larger sizes (eg Topsy Curvy, though of course they did too), but many of the brands had plus-sized sizes, even scoping beyond UK high street brands.
Another model, Janine, and also Shanon who works for DL Models, also provided water and fresh fruit snacks to keep us going throughout the day.
As a lovely treat, Team Topsy provided their models with pizza (I literally had my own whole garlic pizza bread) to keep us going throughout the day. Topsy Curvy are the best.
So, we were well looked after! Definitely between DL, the models and the brands, we were looked after very well.
The day after
The morning after, SHINE people participated in a photoshoot based around the clothes from the day before’s catwalk which I loved. We are still waiting for the images to come back but DL Models shared a sneak peak the other day and I am absolutely obsessed with it…
I love this robe and turban combo from DL Sustainable Apparel and this photo has definitely given me a boost of confidence.
My portfolio
My more professional portfolio is in the midst of being worked on however aside from that I have a self made modelling portfolio and if you would like to view it you can find it here. It is being regularly updated.
TIFS: Adaptive Rebellion
The Inclusive Fashion Show is rearing its head for a fourth time with TIFS: Adaptive Rebellion in September. I should be modelling but I am absolutely gutted that I am unable to go due to distance and cost as it’s in Edinburgh on the final weekend of the Tattoo and I live on the south coast now and getting there for me is just too far and too much at this point.
I can’t wait for my next catwalk or shoot as it gave me such a burst of confidence I didn’t know was possible!
TIFS was an amazing experience and I’m so grateful I was able to be a part of it. Thank you Debbie Lyn, and a huge thanks to Jo and Nat too!
Stay safe, stay strong and look after yourself!
Lots of Love,
@holaurgraphic 
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