Sonia Vera On Weaving The Threads Between Fashion And Disability
Always Looking Up
05/27/26
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In this week’s episode I sat down with Sonia Vera. Sonia is a Venezuelan-born model who is seeking to transform how the disability community is represented and celebrated within the fashion industry. She is a passionate advocate for radical, long-overdue change, using fashion as a platform to normalize inclusion and disability, and to shine a light on the significant and largely overlooked spending power of these communities.
We discuss how fashion as an art form has always seen disabled bodies, how the industry can go much further in regards to representation and inclusion, being a part of this year’s Met Costume spring exhibition and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
All proceeds from purchasing this episode will be split between City Harvest and Food Bank For NYC.
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Follow Sonia: Instagram: @sonia_veraofficial
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Previous Episode
In this week’s episode I sat down with Kate Robinson. Kate built a career spanning retail management and the nonprofit sector, most recently working at Nike, Inc. Now, in an exciting career transition, she is an enthusiastic advocate for creative expression and the power of amplifying individual voices.
We discuss her career working at the intersection of sport and fashion, finding community that allows you to be your full self and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
All proceeds from purchasing this episode will be split between City Harvest and Food Bank For NYC.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Kate: Instagram: @katers02
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com
Read With Me:
The StoryGraph
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org
List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): https://www.immdef.org
Inland Coalition 4 Imm Justice (@ic4ij): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jornaleros
Next Episode
In this week’s episode I sat down with Belle Bakst. Belle, is a stylist, fashion editor, content creator and disability advocate. Also known as “Little Fashion Stylist”, her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan, InStyle, Harper's Bazaar, Brides, and more.
We discuss who is driving the conversations around representation and inclusivity, especially in this new era, the permanence of fashion as an art form, what it means to be whimsical and much, much more.
This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.
All proceeds from purchasing this episode will be split between City Harvest and Food Bank For NYC.
Join Always Looking Up on Substack: https://jilliancurwin645746.substack.com
Join The Patreon: https://patreon.com/AlwaysLookingUp
Follow Belle: Instagram: @littlefashionstylist TikTok: @littlefashionstylist Substack: Outta Sight
Learn More About And Support The Fun Eye Fund: https://www.funeyefund.org
Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: alwayslookingup227@gmail.com
Read With Me:
The StoryGraph
Support the organizers, detainees and their families at Delaney Hall (all links from @feminist):
Donate To Family Support Funds: linktr.ee/SupportOurFamilies
Donate to the Commissary Fund: givebutter.com/commissaryfund
Call your representative: https://5calls.org
Learn More: indivisible.org/campaigns/dismantling-detention
Support Minneapolis:
Stand With Minnesota: https://www.standwithminnesota.com
MN NOICE: https://mnnoice.com
Community Aid Network MN: https://www.canmn.org
Support Those Impacted By The Cutting Of SNAP Benefits:
Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org
World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org
No Kid Hungry: https://www.nokidhungry.org
List Of NYC Food Pantries: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/food_pantries.page
Support Immigrant Communities (all links came from @chnge):
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (@chirla_org): https://www.chirla.org/donatenow/
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (@immdef_lawcenter): ...
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