Model with Down Syndrome breaks boundaries

Sun 09 Sep 2018 | 03:13 PM

Hana Khaled

CAIRO September 9 (SEE): New York Fashion Week event showed how the fashion industry started to accept persity. The 21-year-old Spanish model Marian Avila with Down syndrome broke all boundaries by walking at New York Fashion Week yesterday.

She could participate in the event thanks to White, the Atlanta designer she met through the magic of social media.

The beautiful young model wore an outfit from the Talisha White 2019 spring collection on the runway during Fashion Week in New York.

White's goal is to show that there are no barriers for women of all kinds. "I wanted to show not just one type of girl is beautiful. I like to showcase all types of girls, from pageant girls to models in wheelchairs, models with Down syndrome, models who are 4 feet and told they can never be a model. They are my 'it' girl," she said.

Avila who is studying modeling, walked the runway with models young and old, including one in a wheelchair, Tae McKenzie of Charlotte, North Carolina, and a young girl who also has Down syndrome.

"I felt really happy and I really loved the runway," Avila said after the show. "I wanted to show the world that there are no barriers."