Designing for Difference

Cara Mailey opened the package to reveal a blue-velvet hoodie and matching pants. She tried the outfit on and spun around. It fit perfectly.

Cara was so excited she couldn’t stop smiling. She had spent months helping design the tracksuit—for herself and for other kids like her.

Cara was born with a condition called achondroplasia (ay-kahn-droh-PLAY-zhuh). Achondroplasia causes a person to have short arms and legs, which can make finding clothing that fits difficult. For Cara, jeans were often so long she’d trip on them. Sleeves hung way past her hands. Sometimes she had to wear clothing made for much younger children. So when she got the chance to create a fashion line for kids with achondroplasia, she seized the opportunity. 

In 2020, two fashion designers saw Cara on a kids’ TV show. They reached out. They asked if she’d like to create a clothing line. It would be for kids with achondroplasia. 

Cara eagerly accepted the designers’ invitation, then she got to work taking measurements, testing fabrics, and creating and modifying designs. She also came up with a name for her brand. The name is “She’s Fierce by Cara.” 

“There’s this saying by Shakespeare: ‘Though she be but little, she is fierce,’” Cara explains. “That’s been my quote for a while.” 

After months of work, the designers sent Cara the first item from the collection—the velvet tracksuit.

Today, Cara’s clothing line includes tracksuits and hoodies, as well as chic dresses. Her clothing is sold online and ships globally. But designing clothing isn’t the only way Cara is making a difference. She also wrote a novel called I Got This, which features a protagonist with achondroplasia. She hopes it will raise awareness about the condition. 

Cara wants people to know that achondroplasia doesn’t define her. “I’m the same as everyone else, except for my appearance,” she says. “I’m proud to be me.” She wants all teens to feel that confident too.

^{This article was originally published in the March 2023 issue.}