Kelly Knox
Born1984 (age 39–40)
England
OccupationModel
Years active2008–present
Known forBritain's Missing Top Model winner
Modelling information
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Hair colourBlonde
Eye colourBlue
Websitekellyknox.com

Kelly Knox (born 1984)[1] is a British fashion model. She has been voted one of the most influential disabled people in the UK,[2] and is one of the few fashion models in the world with a physical disability.[3] In 2017, Knox became one of the first models with a disability to star at London Fashion Week.[4]

Early life

Kelly Knox was born in Enfield, North London and raised in both Enfield and Poplar, East London. She was born without a left forearm but, from the age of seven, refused to wear a prosthetic arm and since then has never used a prosthesis.[1]

Career

In 2008, she was the winner of the BBC Three Reality TV show, Britain's Missing Top Model.[5][6] One of eight disabled women contestants, among her competitors were two deaf women, a wheelchair user and a woman with one leg. As the winner of Britain's Missing Top Model,[7] she won a photoshoot with top fashion photographer, Rankin, and a feature in Marie Claire magazine.[8][9] Unlike Britain's Next Top Model, a modelling contract was not part of the prize, but she was offered an introduction to Take 2 Models (London)[10][11] who signed her after the show but shortly after went into administration. She has since been signed to a number of modelling agencies.

In August 2023, Knox was signed to Base Models agency.[12]

Television

Knox has featured in two series of Gok Wan's How to Look Good Naked[13] television series. She has also appeared on television in Celebrity Ready Steady Cook with Jonathan Phang, and has modelled and been interviewed on This Morning and BBC Breakfast.

In 2013, she starred as a lead actress in the second series of Channel 4's hidden camera series I'm Spazticus, that seeks to change perceptions of disabilities.[14]

In 2020, she appeared as a celebrity judge on the second episode of Sky TV's Rankin's 2020, in his search for the best photographers, capturing the spirit of that extraordinary year in pictures taken by members of the public.[15]

Modelling

She has modelled in catwalk shows such as London Fashion Week and in September 2016, she walked on Carrie Hammer's runway as part of New York Fashion Week.,[16] and walked in the 'Trends for 2013 Fashion Show' for Procter & Gamble Beauty 'Vision House' in Beijing.[17] She has featured in advertising campaigns for VO5 and Samsung. Knox continued to break fashion barriers in 'Tenk Nytt' or 'Think New' advertising campaign for Oslo City.[18]

In April 2013, it was announced that Knox would feature in the latest campaign for high-street store Debenhams,[19] the first high street chain to use disabled models in its campaigns. Knox's photo was featured in British Vogue magazine in April 2013. The imagery supposedly "celebrates diversity in the retail sector".[20]

Magazines include: Marie Claire UK (2008),[21] a cover for Diva (2010)[22] and Marie Claire China (2013).[23] Knox was interviewed for Australian disability magazine Link, for their October 2014 issue.[24] Knox featured in Fabulous Magazine, Feb 2016. She has appeared twice on the cover of Grazia magazine, in 2020[25] and in 2018.[26]

She has worked in the UK, United States, Germany, China, Norway and Pakistan.[27]

Knox shot for exclusive Parisian Fashion brand Yperlab in October 2014.[28]

In 2018, Knox fronted a modelling campaign for Primark. In 2021, she fronted Asda's new maternity campaign.[29]

Campaign Work

In 2008, Knox launched a charity auction of celebrity shoes to raise money for landmine victims in aid of the Mines Advisory Group.[30] She also worked with youth and education charity Raleigh.[31] In 2013, Knox became an ambassador for Reach Charity, the association for children with upper limb deficiency.[32]

In 2013, Knox presented a short video for United Response creative disability project 'Postcards from the Edges', to encourage other people affected by disability to create a postcard of their own to express what is important to them.[33][34]

As part of the London College of Fashion's Better Lives Seminar on 10 March 2014, she spoke about "Ableism in Fashion". [35]

On three occasions (2014, 2016 and 2017), Knox was voted one of the top 100 most influential people with a disability by the Shaw Trust and listed in the Power 100.[36]

In early 2016 she co-founded the Diversity Not Disability campaign to promote equal opportunities for models with disabilities.[37]

In 2016 Knox was shortlisted for Celebrity of The Year at The National Diversity Awards.[38]

Knox was interviewed by Lou Stoppard at Nick Knight's Showstudio.com as part of their Prosthetics: Conversations, talking about the fashion industry's treatment of diverse bodies and her decision not to wear a prosthetic arm.[39]

Knox is an ambassador (2016) for Parallel London and Disability Confident.[40] In 2018, she was invited to give a TED (conference) talk in Glasgow.[41]

References

  1. 1 2 "Celebrity Profile – Kelly Knox". Accessible News. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "Able Magazine".
  3. ↑ Who What Wear. 6 Models on Ableism, Visibility, and Personal Style. Jasmine Fox-Suliaman. 6 August 2020
  4. ↑ The Guardian. Fashion folk celebrate inclusivity in shadow of Brexit and Trump. Jess Cartner-Morley. 17 February 2017
  5. ↑ "Britain's Missing Top Model: Kelly Knox". BBC. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  6. ↑ "Model born with half an arm wins contest". Daily Telegraph. Jessica Salter. 30 July 2008.
  7. ↑ London Evening Standard. "Enfield girl named top disabled model"
  8. ↑ And our winner is.. Marie Claire
  9. ↑ Kelly Knox wins Britain's Missing Top Model. Now Magazine
  10. ↑ Stunning model triumphs over disability, Metro
  11. ↑ "Take2 Model Management signs Kelly Knox. BBC Three". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  12. ↑ Base Models. We are super excited to announce that we are now representing Kelly
  13. ↑ Gok Wan's How to Look Good Naked ... With a Difference is a move in the right direction, The Guardian
  14. ↑ "News | Channel 4".
  15. ↑ 'Rankin's 2020'. Sky TV
  16. ↑ "NYFW: Fashion and social good".
  17. ↑ Kelly Knox
  18. ↑ "Model Kelly Knox appears in groundbreaking "Think New" campaign « Ben Barry Agency Inc". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  19. ↑ "The new shape of high street fashion". London Evening Standard. 5 April 2013
  20. ↑ "Vogue Magazine". Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  21. ↑ "Marie Claire". Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  22. ↑ Kelly Knox stars in DIVA's sex issue. Archived 31 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  23. ↑ "Marie Claire China – April issue! ‹ Kelly Knox". Archived from the original on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  24. ↑ "Beautiful Girl > October 2014 > Read Issue > Link Magazine". Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  25. ↑ Grazia. Emma Stoddart. 17 November 2020
  26. ↑ Anna Silverman. 18 September 2018
  27. ↑ Nadia Malik and Kelly Knox heading to PFW3, The Asians. Retrieved 6 October 2012
  28. ↑ "Kelly Knox - DIVERSITY NOT DISABILITY: Shooting AW14 with exclusive fashion brand Yperlab". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  29. ↑ February 2021. OK Magazine. 'George at Asda launches powerful new mums campaign as part of their new maternity collection'
  30. ↑ Kelly Knox launches Charity auction. Marie Claire Archived 5 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  31. ↑ "Kelly Knox, winner of Britain's Missing Top Model, announces involvement with Raleigh" Archived 5 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Raleigh International.
  32. ↑ Reach Charity Archived 16 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  33. ↑ Postcards from the Edges from Model Kelly Knox Archived 5 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  34. ↑ 'The art of being different: combating stereotypes of disability', Frances Ryan, The Guardian
  35. ↑ "Fashion industry is letting down people with disabilities – to its cost". TheGuardian.com. 2 April 2014.
  36. ↑ "Launch of the first Disability Power List - News in Media centre - Shaw Trust". Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  37. ↑ Ellen Wallwork (24 February 2016). "Kelly Knox: The Model Championing Body Confidence For People With Disabilities". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  38. ↑ "National Diversity Awards Shortlist". Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  39. ↑ "Kelly Knox - Prosthetics: Conversations - SHOWstudio - the Home of Fashion Film". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  40. ↑ "About". KellyKnox.com.
  41. ↑ TED talk. Glasgow.
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