Madeline Stuart, an 18-year-old Australian model who has Down syndrome, walked the runway at New York Fashion Week on Sunday.
Stuart opened South African designer Hendrik Vermeulen's spring 2016 collection for the group FTL Moda in association with the Christopher Reeve Foundation and Models of Diversity. She follows Jamie Brewer, an actress who became the first person with Down syndrome to walk in NYFW earlier this year.
"I think it's amazing that she's been given this opportunity," her mother, Rosanne Stuart, told the French news agency AFP. "It's a fantastic platform for us to get our beliefs across on inclusion and disability."
Stuart walked down the runway in two Vermeulen looks. The first was a far-out shirt and shorts combo paired with high, gold sandals. The second was an off-the-shoulder cream gown with an intricate bodice and billowy bottom.
Both of her outfits were complimented by a braided updo and a bright blue mask design painted on her face. She walked the show's finale in a T-shirt.
"Madeline would like to model for a very well-known brand such as Forever 21, Versace or Gucci, so she would be cemented into the industry, as I still believe some people think this is a 'five minutes of fame' thing," Rosanne Stuart previously told The Huffington Post. "But we also want to keep working for smaller companies, charitable companies or start-up companies so we can continue to help people."
We can't wait to see what's next for Madeline!
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