SARAH: HOURS BEFORE THE SHOW,
OHIO DESIGNER MELISSA ATKINSON
CHECKS HER MODEL’S HAIR
SHE’S PUTTING THE FINISHING
TOUCHES ON HER MODELS -- KNOWING
TONIGHT’S RUNWAY IS VERY
SPECIAL.
>> THERE’S A LOT OF ADVERSITY
AGAINST TRANSGENDER PEOPLE, AND
I’M JUST HERE TO USE MY TALENT
TO HELP.
SARAH: A YEAR AGO, SHE BEGAN
DESIGNING CLOTHING SPECIFIC FOR
TRANSGENDER PEOPLE -- SOMETHING
MAINSTREAM FASHION DOESN’T OFTEN
OFFER.
>> THERE’S A LOT OF ISSUES WITH
FIT, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE EARLY IN
THEIR TRANSITION THAT NEED HELP
GETTING THAT FEMININE FIGURE OR
THAT MASCULINE FIGURE THAT THEY
WANT.
SARAH: WHEN GIVEN THE CHANCE TO
SHED LIGHT ON A TOPIC SO DEAR TO
HER --
>> IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I’M
DOING SOMETHING IMPORTANT.
SARAH: SHE JUMPED AT THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DESIGN A LINE FOR
OMAHA FASHION WEEK.
>> BRING MORE ACCEPTANCE INTO
THE TRANS COMMUNITY AS WELL
PROVIDE CLOTHING THAT THEY
REALLY NEED.
SARAH: IN A GROUNDBREAKING MOVE,
ALL OF HER MODELS ARE TRANS.
THAT CAUGHT THE EYE OF A
SUPERMODEL.
>> PARIS, LONDON, NEW YORK,
L.A., SOUTH AFRICA, GREECE, AND
NOW, OMAHA.
I LOVE OMAHA.
I THINK IT’S REALLY COOL.
SARAH: LAUREN FOSTER IS A
PIONEER IN THE TRANS MODEL
COMMUNITY.
>> IT’S AN LGBT INCLUSIVE SHOW,
AND IT’S HIGHLIGHTING LGBTQ
RIGHTS, AND I’M A LGBTQ
ADVOCATE.
SARAH: AT 18, SHE BECAME A TRANS
WOMAN WHILE MANAGING AN ALREADY
SUCCESSFUL CAREER.
UNTIL SOMEONE SHARED HER STORY.
>> I’VE BEEN MODELING FOR A LONG
TIME, AND WHEN I WAS FIRST WAS
OUTED AS TRANS, I MODELED FOR
VOGUE, AND I ALWAYS FELT CHEATED
A LITTLE BIT.
SARAH: HER MISSION BECAME ONE OF
ADVOCACY -- FIGHTING FOR THE
RIGHTS OF THE LGBTQ ONE RUNWAY
AT A TIME.
>> WE’LL JUST BE AT A PLACE
WHERE WE DONT HAVE TO HAVE AN
LGBT INCLUSIVE FASHION SHOW, WE
JUST HAVE A FASHION SHOW.
SARAH: EVERYBODY WANTS -- FOSTER
WANTS EVERYBODY TO FEEL
COMFORTABLE IN THEIR SKIN SO
THAT YOU CAN BE COMFORTABLE WITH
WHO OTHER ARE IN THEIR S
