Diabo eyes fashion week

Jody Diabo usually finds herself behind the camera, not in front of it, but after encouragement from other women in the community, she recently took a chance and applied to walk in New York Fashion Week.

Now, she might be looking at the start of a new journey in the modelling world, having been accepted to take part in the renowned fashion week as part of The Model Experience program.

“I think it’s so important to be bringing actual Indigenous representation into these spaces,” she said. “That was a real motivation for me to try and put myself out there.”

Finding the confidence to walk the runway has taken time, said Diabo. Five years ago, she underwent weight loss surgery and has since lost more than 100lbs.

Her weight loss story encouraged her to think more about her relationship to her body, something that she said sparked her interest in modelling.

“It’s given me the motivation to stick to my workout routine, to eat healthier, and work towards a goal of feeling confident and healthier than ever,” she said. “I really felt like I turned my life around.”

It was the support of other women in Kahnawake’s fashion scene that gave her the courage to take the next step in the modelling world - especially the team at Showstopper Studios, a business headed by Babes Thompson and Kendall Horn, where Diabo had her first headshots taken, and was encouraged to apply to The Model Experience program.

“I’ve just felt supported from other models in the industry; knowing that people from Kahnawake have been successful in the industry has given me the confidence and the support,” she said. “I felt like it was necessary to step into these spaces with these people that are already in the industry and I think it’s really encouraging.”

She said it’s been motivating to see how many Indigenous models are seeing success on an international scale, particularly those from Kahnawake.

“I really think that when people from Kahnawake put their minds to something, we really can make some noise,” she said.

As part of The Model Experience, Diabo has to sell eight tickets to the show, and she is currently fundraising for the experience on social media, including a “Spin to Win” board that will see one lucky participant win a beauty package from her business, Exalted Enterprises.

Once she’s secured the ticket sales, Diabo will be headed to New York City to walk the runway on September 12 at the Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn, where she will be assigned as a model to one of the many major designers showing their work.

“I think this is a really cool time to be in Native fashion. Seeing all the girls from Kahnawake on the runways and seeing the impact they’re making in the world of fashion, it’s exciting to potentially be a part of that,” Diabo said.

“To have the opportunity to be in this space with those people and show them how we do it in Kahnawake is awesome.”

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