Madeline Stuart had a clear dream long before anyone let her walk a runway.
She lives in Brisbane, Australia, has Down syndrome, and decided that fashion was for her, too. Her career took off in 2015, when she walked at New York Fashion Week for the first time and became one of the first professional models with Down syndrome to make headlines around the world.
Since then, she has walked more than 100 runways, including those in New York, Paris, and London.
It hasn’t been a smooth journey. She says that one of the biggest obstacles at the beginning was that some people didn’t see her as a professional, and even thought they were doing her a favor by including her.
Even so, she persevered, eventually launching her own brand, 21 Reasons Why, and receiving recognition for her work as an advocate for inclusion.
Her message is direct: “We are all human, and our differences are what make society so beautiful, diverse, and wonderful”.
Every one of her runway shows does more than showcase clothes: it also reminds the industry who is still missing from the runway.