KNOWN AS 'the girl who can't smile', Tayla Clement is determined to show the world that she can live her life to the fullest despite her condition. The 24-year-old was born with Moebius syndrome, a form of facial paralysis which means she is unable to smile. Although she has dealt with bullying and loneliness, Tayla is brimming with positivity. She has embraced her condition to become a disability advocate and motivational speaker. Since her last appearance on Truly, she was offered a modelling contract and started partnering up with brands as an influencer, proudly showing off her face to more people than she had ever envisioned.
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00:00 I am the model without a smile.
00:02 I knew something was different about me
00:04 from around the age of going into school.
00:06 People would always look at me funny
00:08 and I was excluded quite a lot.
00:10 A couple of agents from this one talent agency
00:15 were following me on Instagram
00:16 on that same exact day that I reached out to them.
00:18 I had the contract in my hand.
00:20 I just wanted to show people that no matter what they could be,
00:23 do and achieve anything in life.
00:25 My name is Taylor Clement.
00:27 I'm 24 years old and we're in Auckland, New Zealand.
00:31 I was born with a really rare neurological disorder
00:33 called Nobear syndrome.
00:35 The syndrome is so rare that it only affects one individual
00:38 in every three to four million.
00:40 And it affects my sixth and seventh cranial nerves.
00:42 So that means my eyebrows don't move,
00:44 my eyes don't track from left to right
00:45 and my upper lip doesn't move,
00:47 which means I can't smile.
00:49 I was diagnosed around six or seven months of age.
00:52 Right when I was born,
00:53 I had issues with breastfeeding with mum.
00:55 And that was obviously a bit of a red flag to her.
00:58 They didn't really think too much of it
01:00 and it wasn't picked up at birth or anything like that,
01:03 but it got to the point where they knew
01:05 something was a bit off.
01:06 And so I went to the doctors
01:08 and got diagnosed that day with the syndrome.
01:11 I wouldn't say I found out.
01:12 I had to deal with it my whole life.
01:14 I think just growing up and being bullied all the time
01:17 for being different,
01:18 I think it kind of dawned on me over the years
01:21 and as the bullying got worse
01:22 that this was going to be something
01:23 that I was potentially going to have to deal with
01:26 for the rest of my life.
01:28 I think when I changed my mindset,
01:29 when I had dealt with all my mental health issues
01:33 and really was on the road to recovery,
01:34 I kind of switched that mindset.
01:36 It was like, well, I'm in a really amazing position here
01:39 that in Spine and Power Island.
01:40 And I think once that mindset shift happened,
01:43 it kind of just didn't bother me anymore.
01:46 I'd been on social media for a while
01:48 leading up to the big opportunity with Born Different.
01:51 And I had around, you know, 18,000 followers.
01:54 I love not being able to smile, it's what makes me me.
01:57 Doing that already was such a huge,
01:59 passionate thing for me.
02:01 And to then get opportunity with Born Different
02:03 and to share my story on such a global and huge platform
02:07 really sparked something in me to keep going.
02:10 Putting myself out there on social media
02:13 definitely has its pros and cons.
02:16 One con would definitely be the hate comments.
02:18 Not that it really affects me too much.
02:20 I kind of just use it as a way of making fun of them
02:23 for leaving the hateful comments.
02:25 But the pros so, so, so outweigh the cons.
02:28 Like, you know, just first and foremost,
02:30 being able to use my voice and my face
02:32 to inspire and empower others on such a big scale
02:35 without having to leave the comfort of my home.
02:38 My claim for today is taking a picture
02:44 in the purple dress that I've been sent by Vidos, the label,
02:47 which is really exciting.
02:48 They're a new brand from Australia
02:50 and they're really championing all different body sizes
02:53 and different looks.
02:54 So I'm really excited.
02:55 And then making sure the hair goes with the outfit
02:59 and then picking a location
03:01 for where we're gonna shoot today.
03:02 The modeling started actually after I noticed
03:09 that a couple of agents from this one talent agency
03:13 were following me on Instagram.
03:14 For some reason, something came upon me
03:18 and I was just like, you know what,
03:20 let's just reach out to them.
03:21 On that same exact day that I reached out to them,
03:23 I had the contract in my hand assigned.
03:25 I would definitely say the modeling industry today
03:29 is a lot more inclusive than it was a few years ago even.
03:33 I think there is so much more room to improve
03:36 in terms of booking models with more inclusivity in mind.
03:39 To be able to be a part of that is amazing
03:43 and I can't wait to be able to be on my first job
03:46 and to kind of experience it all.
03:48 (siren blaring)
03:49 Usually I'll come down to some of my local areas.
03:52 I'll usually do maybe a drive-by
03:54 and scout some locations beforehand.
03:58 I love being in front and behind the camera.
04:00 I love being able to set up the shot
04:01 and see what looks good.
04:02 I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any worries
04:07 about going into the modeling and entertainment industry
04:09 just because it is so heavily focused
04:11 on outward appearances.
04:14 But it was only like a very small part of me.
04:16 I'm just so, again, so grateful to be able to be
04:19 in an industry where I know that I can make such a huge
04:22 and positive change along with so many other models.
04:25 The sort of style I'm going for in this outfit
04:31 is more of a relaxed, laid back kind of shot.
04:34 I like to try and put as little effort
04:36 into the shot as possible because I feel like
04:38 it looks the best and it's moving around
04:39 and seeing what looks good.
04:41 I don't really get nervous at all.
04:43 I just know what kind of looks good.
04:44 I've been doing this for a while now
04:46 so I know what my angles are
04:47 and what will look good on the camera.
04:49 When I was growing up, I had no one to look up to
04:54 in these industries and because it's always in our face
04:57 and there are billboards everywhere
04:58 and magazines everywhere
04:59 and we're constantly watching TV and movies.
05:02 I think it's so important to have inclusivity
05:05 in these areas because there are all these different people
05:09 in the world that are watching the screen
05:11 and watching these magazines and runways
05:13 and whatever and not seeing themselves represented.
05:15 (upbeat music)
05:18 For me, as I've been growing up,
05:21 to not have anyone like me,
05:22 it's really hurt me in a lot of ways
05:25 because I've not had anyone to be like,
05:27 well, I've grown up with this
05:29 and if I can do it, then you can do it.
05:31 So to now be in a position where I can do that
05:33 for other people is really amazing to me.
05:37 It's really easy to get caught up
05:38 in all the glitz and glamour
05:40 of whatever industry you go into,
05:42 but I want to go into this industry
05:43 because I'm passionate about it
05:45 and I know in my heart that I'm meant to be doing this.
05:48 My advice for getting into the modelling industry
05:50 would just be to go for it.
05:51 Forget what anyone else says,
05:53 as long as you believe in yourself
05:54 and you know that this is what you want to do
05:56 and you're passionate about it, then go for it.
05:58 (upbeat music)
06:01 (upbeat music)
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06:11 [BLANK_AUDIO]