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12/22/2024 03:27:52 pm

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Rebekah Marine Set To Take New York Fashion Week by Storm with Her Bionic Arm

A model presents a creation from the Calvin Klein Fall/Winter 2015 collection during New York Fashion Week

(Photo : REUTERS/Eric Thayer) A model presents a creation from the Calvin Klein Fall/Winter 2015 collection during New York Fashion Week February 19, 2015.

Model Reberak Marine with hr bionic forearm is set to hit the runway at the New York Fashion Week on Sept. 13. For the 28-year-old, this would be her second innings on the NYFW runway. She walked the catwalk for the first time during the fashion week in February.

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The New Jersey native made her debut at Antonio Urzi's presentation in the fashion week, wearing a bionic arm. She is using her physical shortcoming to make a serious statement about acceptance for differently-abled people.

Marine will walk the catwalk at the FTL Moda show with her new i-limb quantum prosthetic hand, which was made with advanced gesture control technology. "It's been quite a journey for me. It was hard at first to put myself out there for the whole world to see," she said talking to People. She added that now she is comfortable with herself and very happy.

The brunette beauty who has modeled Nordstrom's 2015 anniversary catalogue said that it was very important to include more diverse models, because according to her around one in five people in America have a disability. Marine added that their "uniqueness" should be celebrated.

The Woodbury native has her eyes firmly set on Vogue. Her dream is to feature on the cover of fashion bible Vogue, and nothing will stop the girl to achieve it. Marine is represented by Models of Diversity and an advocate for those with upper limb differences.

She said that her journey into modeling has not been an easy one. But, her positive attitude has helped her sail through. Marine said that most of the time, agencies do not want to look at her portfolio, adding that she has come to terms with the fact that many clients would not like to work with her because of her "disability."

Marine will walk again for FTL Moda, which is known for hiring models with disabilities. During her February debut, she appeared on the runway in a futuristic ensemble and silver face paint.

However, "American Horror Story" actress Jamie Brewer became the first woman with Down syndrome to walk the runway at NYFW last season, while Dr Danielle Sheypuk became the first ever woman in a wheelchair to feature on the catwalk during the NYFW in 2014. 

Meanwhile, Australian model Madeline Stuart, an 18-year-old with Down's syndrome, will also walk the runway also at NYFW on Sept. 13 for FTL Moda. This apart, nine-year-old Kalya Kosmalski walked for Ellen DeGeneres GapKids collection in August. 

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