Down syndrome model a catwalk hit
A young Australian is the first person with Down syndrome to make it big in the international modelling world
THE young woman steps out on the runway and it’s immediately clear from her slightly awkward gait that this isn’t your run-ofthe-mill fashion model. Her attitude is confident, sassy and even defiant as she struts her stuff down the ramp, pausing at the end with her hands on her hips, as if to say, “Look at me!”
And the style-savvy New York Fashion Week crowd love it, applauding warmly as she sashays back down the catwalk and disappears.
This is Madeline Stuart, the first person with Down syndrome to have become an internationally recognised model.
The 21-year-old Australian may have been born with a condition that left her with intellectual and physical disabilities but that hasn’t stopped her from chasing her dream.
After telling her mom at the age of 18 she wanted to become a model, Madeline went out and achieved the almost unthinkable.
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed go-getter has become a regular on catwalks around the globe and recently took part in fashion weeks in the Big Apple and in London.
She’s also graced the covers of many glossy fashion magazines.
Maddy, as she’s commonly known, is part of the new wave of diversity in the modelling world which is increasingly embracing non-traditional models of all sizes, challenges and abilities.
Roseanne Stuart (47), her mom and manager, says her daughter’s success has indeed been groundbreaking.
“Maddy was the first person with an intellectual disability to walk in all these shows. She was also the first to get a work visa in America and the first to have a shoot in Vogue magazine.
“She’s opened the door. When people with disabilities see Maddy doing these things, it opens their minds to do things themselves.”
She says all the designers who work with her daughter treat her “beautifully” and understand she’s a professional. “They believe in her and they believe in her cause. Maddy has a beautiful way with people – she doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.”
Maddy, who has limited speech, is in her element when she’s modelling.
“When I’m on the runway, everyone is looking at me and smiling and I feel beautiful,” she says.
Roseanne says while children with Down syndrome often appear in adverts “because they look cute”, they’re often not used for modelling when they get older. But that’s changing now thanks largely to people like her daughter who are paving the way.
WHEN Maddy was born she was given a 13% chance of surviving beyond the age of seven. In addition to having Down syndrome, she had three holes in her heart which required her to have open-heart surgery at eight weeks.
She wouldn’t thrive, doctors said, and her family was told to prepare themselves for heartache. But Maddy proved them all wrong.
Not only did she flourish, she grew into a robust teenager – a real little tomboy who loved to play football with the guys.
But that all changed when she went to a fashion show in 2015 in her hometown of Brisbane. While watching the show Maddy, then 18, turned to her mom and declared she wanted to become a model.
She also said she wanted to lose weight. “Not only because of modelling
but because of her heart condition and overall health,” Roseanne says. “She lost 20kg by cutting out junk food and working out with a personal trainer.”
Roseanne was so proud of her daughter’s achievement she posted her weightloss photos on social media to inspire other people with disabilities. The post immediately went viral and attracted interest from all over the world.
Not long after that she was put forward to SA designer Hendrik Vermeulen to model for his label at New York Fashion Week in September 2015.
“We met her in New York and despite her limited speech, we had an immediate connection,” Hendrik says.
“Many designers were wary of using her but we believe in inclusion and diversity on our catwalks.
“The art of couture as we see it is we adapt a design according to a client’s wishes, their personality, skin colour, body type and shape. We took a chance on her and that was the start of her career.”
He adds they’re still in contact today. “We’ve become great friends with Maddy. We love following her.”
MADDY has branched out into other areas too. She oversees her own dance school – Inside, Outside Dance Ensemble – in Brisbane and has a fashion label called 21 Reasons Why. She’s also set to release a documentary about her life.
Last year she was honoured with the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award for her work in the disability industry – the legendary US musician is the international spokesperson for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.
But like other young women Maddy isn’t all about work. She loves to chill with her iPad or with her boyfriend, a 22-year-old athlete with an intellectual disability whom she met at the Special Olympic Games in Australia four years ago.
Rosanne says she’ll support her daugh- ter’s modelling as long as she keeps enjoying it. “Maddy loves it, she just wants to be on that catwalk every day. Her dream is to be a Victoria’s Secret model.” She has a few choice words for those who accuse her of being a pushy “dance mom”, saying they have no idea about people who have Maddy’s condition. “People with Down syndrome have a very, very strong will and can be super-stubborn. If Maddy didn’t want to model she would just sit on the end of the catwalk and wouldn’t walk.” And that’s the last thing she’s prepared to do.