Fil-Am fashion designer joins special needs kids fashion show in Charlotte

By Susan Palmes-Dennis

ROCKINGHAM, North Carolina—Seven kids with special needs and seven adult regular models walked the runway in a fashion show dubbed ‘Inclusion Is In And Ignorance Is Out’ held last Nov. 15 at the Discovery Place in Charlotte.

These special needs kids that posed and walked shoulder to shoulder with the regular models were dressed in the creations of fashion designer Malou Cordery, a native of Villanueva town in Misamis Oriental province, northern Mindanao Philippines.

Cordery, who now lives in the Carolinas, said her ‘heart is full and grateful’ for having joined the fashion show which carries the motto ‘I’m Possible.’ 

The show is organized and produced by Kelly Melerine, the father of a child with a severe disability.  Cordery said the show made it possibe for these children to feel accepted, included and most of all, loved.

‘It brings light to individuals that are otherwise left in the dark, like our special needs,’ she said. There were 27 designers who volunteered in the event, some of whom were from out of town.

One of the guests said the one night fashion show saw models of all disabilities, ages, shapes, sizes and colors being comfortable and confident in their own skin and walking side by side with regular fashion models.

Through the show, Melerine brought everyone together to celebrate the uniqueness of each and everyone who attended the event. 

Cordery, whose creations already made waves in the runways of Paris, New York and other cities in the world, said last November’s fashion show wasn’t the first time she joined an event for special needs models. ‘The first was in 2019,’ Cordery said.

What inspired Cordery to join Melerine’s fashion show was her best friend named Viol Suarez. A native of Trinidad, Bohol province, Viol suffered from Down’s Syndrome and passed away recently. ‘(Viol) was 15 years older than me, but with friendship and love age doesn’t matter,’ Cordery said. 

Cordery said she considers Viol an angel. ‘So I incorporated wings in my collection for the special needs kids,” said Cordery, a soft spoken grandma of three. 

Based on the warm audience reception, Cordery said the show was wonderfully and amazingly successful. ‘Spending time with our family and friends in the fashion world was well worth the days and nights preparing my collection for this awesome fundraiser,’ Cordery said.

Seeing the special needs children happy and full of enthusiasm brought a satisfied big smile to Cordery, who’s married to a fellow artist named Richard Cordery.  The Cordery couple incidentally both served with distinction at the Filipino American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC).