While fashion campaigns remained stubbornly white-washed this year, one ad that successfully promoted inclusivity, diversity, and awareness has us feeling all warm and fuzzy.
Two-year-old Izzy Bradley has wormed her way into the Internet's hearts after the smiling, pink- and leopard-print-clad baby was seen playing with an activity cube for a Target ad that appeared in newspapers throughout the country Sunday. What was so attention-grabbing about the otherwise completely run-of-the-mill toy ad is that the cutie at its center is a child with Down syndrome.
The ad, which has since gone viral, is the latest effort from some mass market retailers, like Target, Nordstrom, and Wet Seal, to portray a more diverse array of models, particularly those with disabilities. Target found Izzy through the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network, where her mom, Heather Bradley, heads the Stillwater, Minneapolis, chapter.
"I really appreciate Target putting [children with Down syndrome] in their ads," Heather Bradley told a local news crew. "I think it really normalizes Down Syndrome and helps people see we are really like any other family."
It seems that Izzy is enjoying her newfound stardom, too. "Whenever she sees the ad, either on television or in print, she smiles, points to herself, and says, ‘Izzy,’” Bradley told Yahoo. Let's hope her story inspires other retailers — and high fashion brands — to broaden their definitions of beauty. (CBS)
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