Business & Tech
1st Model With Down Syndrome Featured In Surf Style Stores
A local nonprofit helps a model with Down syndrome get his big break with a modeling gig at a major Florida retailer.
CLEARWATER, FL — The next time you walk inside a Surf Style store, you might spot something that’s never been on display there before – a model with a disability.
Seventeen-year-old Ethan Holt was first featured on Surf Style’s website and social media in August 2019. His groundbreaking campaign went viral, making national news and reaching many countries around the world. Now, Surf Style is giving Ethan a brand new, long-awaited opportunity: his very own in-store campaign.
Ethan, a high school junior from St. Petersburg, will be featured on posters in many of Surf Style’s stores throughout the region, including Surf Style’s flagship store on Clearwater Beach and a large-scale poster outside the company’s new store in Ormond Beach, Florida. Posters of Ethan will also be printed for fitting rooms. The marketing team at Surf Style says hiring Ethan for this job was a clear next step.
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“Ethan was so professional on set,” said Tara Malinasky, marketing manager at Surf Style. “He’s an obvious choice because he perfectly embodies the spirit of what Surf Style is all about.”
Help Us Gather (HUG), a Clearwater-based nonprofit that advocates for inclusion of individuals with disabilities, has been working hard for months to help Holt jumpstart his modeling career. At first, local talent agents told HUG that there “isn’t a market” for models with special needs. However, Ethan’s continuing success proves the tides are changing.
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“People want to see models who represent them,” said Robin Lally, Founder of HUG. “Including diversity in marketing is important, and Ethan’s modeling campaign with Surf Style is overwhelming proof of that.”
A CDC report shows 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. live with a form of disability, but the majority of advertising campaigns still do not include people with disabilities. Surf Style’s decision to feature Ethan in their marketing is crucial step toward a future where people of all abilities feel included and represented, setting the bar for companies and organizations everywhere.
View more photos from this photoshoot, Ethan’s entire portfolio and more media coverage at www.HireEthan.org
You can see Surf Style’s blog article about Ethan here: http://www.surfstyle.com/blog-20bc36/