Lolo Spencer Shows the Beauty of Black Love With Calvin Klein-Inspired Photoshoot
by Kayla Grant
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October 3, 2024

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Lolo Spencer Shows the Beauty of Black Love With Calvin Klein-Inspired Photoshoot

 

Photographer: CRV Productions ( @crv_productions ) – Stylist: Stephanie Thomas ( @disabilityfashionstylist ) – Model: Latham Ford ( @iknowlay )

Actress Lauren “Lolo” Spencer constantly reminds the world that there’s more to people than their disability. Recently, she broke the internet by showing everyone what happens when you take the iconic Calvin Klein aesthetic and make it more inclusive. Posing alongside her close friend and fellow model Latham Ford, she not only recreated two of the brand’s infamous shoots, but also demonstrated the possibilities of putting an interabled couple at the center of a global campaign.

“Our intention was to … really get people thinking [that] it can be done, and it can be done at high quality,” she tells Black Love. “You don’t have to compromise your branding or your look just because you’re using a disabled model.”

For Spencer, her community was extremely helpful in bringing her unique vision to life. Having worked with both her longtime stylist Stephanie Thomas and photographer and friend Chris Jordan before, she knew what to expect. The trio always aims to “push the envelope and create new narratives through photography and style” whenever they collaborate. They have a relationship built on mutual respect and trust, where they always push to revolutionize the industry.

With the plan in motion, they were only missing one piece of the puzzle – a co-star for the shoot. Spencer knew that in order for this to work, she would need someone who wasn’t insecure or afraid to be vulnerable. Ford, who has been modeling for a long time, was the perfect fit. He not only matched the aesthetic of the shoot, but also was willing to push the boundaries to get the perfect shot. With Spencer and Ford’s friendship, there was a natural level of trust between them, which translated into each image. Ford didn’t shy away from the wheelchair. Instead, like Spencer, he was open to using it as a prop, making it the centerpiece of the shots. The ending result was something that no one in the room anticipated.

Photographer: CRV Productions ( @crv_productions ) – Stylist: Stephanie Thomas ( @disabilityfashionstylist ) – Model: Latham Ford ( @iknowlay )

“Something else came out of [the photoshoot] that we weren’t even expecting, and that’s the beauty of collaboration,” Spencer says. “I can’t see images in the way [Chris Jordan] sees images, [and] I don’t see styling in the way [Stephanie Thomas] sees styling, and they don’t see the vision in the same way that I see the vision.”

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Spencer’s ultimate goal with the photoshoot was to tell an untold story that would humanize people with disabilities. With each image, she wanted to prove that disabled models can be represented authentically and still be sexy. The photos were intimate and oozing in Black love, proving that adding representation doesn’t take away from the brand.

Photographer: CRV Productions ( @crv_productions ) – Stylist: Stephanie Thomas ( @disabilityfashionstylist ) – Model: Latham Ford ( @iknowlay )

“When we hear people advocate for representation what they’re saying is – they want to be seen … and seen in ways they recognize or in ways they have dreamed of experiencing and becoming,” she shared on Instagram to her 70.6K followers. “Displaying the possibilities of interabled relationships and make it intimate dripped in black love is what made this so special for us.”

With everything from her fashion videos to her current role as Jocelyn, a sex-positive, quick-witted college student on Max’s hit series “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” Spencer never misses an opportunity to use her platform to challenge the narratives surrounding people with disabilities. It’s a charge that she picked up after starting her YouTube channel in 2015. When she was first diagnosed with ALS at 14 years old, the actress refused to let anything stop her from living. Unknowingly, she was defying the odds and showing people that their life doesn’t stop with their diagnosis.

When she started posting, Spencer quickly realized that she was living a life that others in her community aspired to have. Her content became the breeding ground for her early advocacy days, allowing her to challenge preconceived notions of people with disabilities, while building a community of followers inspired by her journey.

“I just always hope that whatever it is that I do put out, people get the message,” she tells Black Love. “It gives me a purpose, [and] a reason to be of service to others. It truly fills a place in my heart that money and all that can’t really do. It just feels like something that’s so much bigger than me.”

Spencer enjoys being in a position to create content that pushes the needle. However, the charge does become heavy at times. She’s fighting for a future where people recognize the person before the disability, but in order to reach that goal, she has to constantly highlight hers. It’s a double-edged sword, and she’s still learning how to navigate the balance. For Spencer, moments, like the reactions from her role on “The Sex Lives of College Girls” and the Calvin Klein spec photoshoot make it all worth it.

Photographer: CRV Productions ( @crv_productions ) – Stylist: Stephanie Thomas ( @disabilityfashionstylist ) – Model: Latham Ford ( @iknowlay )

“People can just enjoy it for exactly what it is, and at the same time, recognize that it’s revolutionary in its existence,” she says, noting that these instances highlight disabilities without making it the sole focus. “The only reason [change] happens is because someone has the vision, and there’s a community of people willing to bring that vision to life the correct and the authentic way.”

Photographer: CRV Productions ( @crv_productions ) – Stylist: Stephanie Thomas ( @disabilityfashionstylist )

Above all, Spencer is working toward a more inclusive future. Regardless of if she can experience her ideal utopia, she finds solace knowing that the art she creates and the projects that she is a part of will help the next generation. She’s fighting for a future for disabled people, where they don’t have to overthink every move of their life.

“I want to be able to know that the moment I leave my home I can easily, effortlessly navigate the world without having to think about anything in the same way everyone else does,” Spencer says. “I just feel like that’s the world people with disabilities [are] constantly fighting for.”

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