"I See You" and "I Am with You": The Fashion Show Experience

By Odeen Phillips, professional cover model and trainer

A modeling show at Nazarbayev University — featuring Kazakh clothing designers, children with disabilities, and international students — became one of the most moving events connected to the Tolyq Adam book launch.

The concept was to train children with disabilities as models and pair them with international students from Nazarbayev University. Nine international students — three women and six men — were trained alongside twenty children, many of whom use wheelchairs.

Preparation began online, focused on creating a calm, supportive environment. In-person sessions trained the students separately, working on posture, balance, eye focus, and movement with rhythm, while allowing each student's individuality to come through. The children were worked with separately at first, ensuring the atmosphere remained gentle so that no one felt overwhelmed.

The children opened the fashion show with confidence and presence. They were expressive, full of character, and truly wonderful on the runway. The students followed with growing assurance and style. In the final sequence, the students entered from one side of the runway and the children from the other, each carefully paired.

The first time the students and children came together, there was an immediate connection. The children approached with openness and warmth, greeting the students with genuine excitement. Very quickly, they began to bond.

As they met in the center, there was a moment — a look, a gesture — that carried meaning beyond words. From the children, it felt like a warm and immediate "I see you." From the students, a response just as clear: "I am with you."

Both the children and the students expressed a desire to continue working together. The experience carried something lasting — something human, something meaningful, something rooted in connection.