When New York City–based Tiffany Chou competed in a 2014 triathlon organized by Achilles International, she took home more than puffed-up self-esteem (she finished in three hours!). That’s how she met her two new friends and catalog models, Abigail and her dog, Lexi.

Achilles International is a New York City–based nonprofit dedicated to helping people with disabilities to compete in mainstream athletics. AI had been on Chou’s radar because of her autistic brother, and when the artist signed up to compete in a 2014 event, she met visually impaired Abigail and her seeing-eye dog Lexi. “We were on the same training team and attended the same practices, which is how we became fast friends,” Chou explains to JCK.

Because of that personal connection—and because Chou’s brand “represents a caring and happy lifestyle, a message that I make an effort to convey throughout all of my collections,” she says—she tapped the pair to serve as her 2015 fall catalog models. “I think involving Abbey and Lexi shows that my brand is not only about sales,” she adds. Another message: Everyone is beautiful.

“When I show Abbey’s pictures to people, they are always shocked to find out that she is visually impaired,” says Chou. “I think Abbey’s story inspires people, and the shots we were able capture between her and Lexi can only put a smile on your face.”

Request a new catalog from Chou to see more of the campaign images. 

Abbey and her seeing-eye dog, Lexi, in Tiffany Chou’s fall 2015 catalog

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JCK