Spindly models walk back and forth on the runway wearing beautiful couture gowns. The music is ambient and loud, chosen by the designer to convey the feeling of their line. The audience is engaged and quiet as they observe the fashion show.
And then she comes out, striking a pose at the beginning of the runway with her hands on her hips, makeup and hair perfectly done with an inexhaustible smile on her face. The crowd breaks its silence for an uproarious cheer. The only model that I have ever seen illicit this sort of response at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is the supermodel with Down syndrome, Madeline Stuart.
Stuart is a 21-year-old model from Brisbane, Australia. According to her website, "Madeline's career started when Maddy attended a Fashion Parade late 2015 with her mum and said to her mum "˜mum me model'."
From there, Madeline's mother, Rosanne Stuart, has advocated like crazy for her daughter to climb to the top. Madeline has been a runway and editorial model for nearly five years, her resume boasting her success on the pages of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, People, and The Washington Post, to name a few. She's gone global and walked runways all over the world.
Madeline's mother sits in the front row of every one of her daughter's shows, beaming. Madeline often waves to her mother, or high-fives her, as the walks towards the end of the runway.
I photographed Madeline in autumn of 2018 at New York Fashion Week, and the spring of 2020 at New York Fashion Week. I have seen her walk several runways for multiple designers, including her own fashion line that she created with her mother, called "21 Reasons Why," referring to her extra chromosome.
Madeline Stuart and her mother Rosanne's advocacy has become the leading voice for inclusion in an otherwise non-inclusive world fashion industry. Together, they have ushered in a new era. Nowadays, Tommy Hilfiger has created an adaptive line for individuals with disabilities, the Target brand Cat and Jack have created sensory sensitive clothing, and Nike has begun to create adaptive shoes.
I got to meet and chat with Madeline and her mother at the recent February 2020 NYFW. As they were taking their seats for a runway Madeline was not walking in, I stopped them and asked Madeline to pose for some photographs. I was able to personally thank her and her mother for all that they do for inclusion in the fashion industry.
Inclusion has begun to take hold on the consumer level, and it is advocates like Madeline and Rosanne Stuart that are furthering the narrative and importance of encouraging representation of individuals with special needs or disabilities. It is such a beautiful and powerful change that holds significant importance for the global community as it begins to acknowledge the inherent dignity of each person.
Images by Katherine M. Blanner
From there, Madeline's mother, Rosanne Stuart, has advocated like crazy for her daughter to climb to the top. Madeline has been a runway and editorial model for nearly five years, her resume boasting her success on the pages of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, People, and The Washington Post, to name a few. She's gone global and walked runways all over the world.
Madeline's mother sits in the front row of every one of her daughter's shows, beaming. Madeline often waves to her mother, or high-fives her, as the walks towards the end of the runway.
I photographed Madeline in autumn of 2018 at New York Fashion Week, and the spring of 2020 at New York Fashion Week. I have seen her walk several runways for multiple designers, including her own fashion line that she created with her mother, called "21 Reasons Why," referring to her extra chromosome.
Madeline Stuart and her mother Rosanne's advocacy has become the leading voice for inclusion in an otherwise non-inclusive world fashion industry. Together, they have ushered in a new era. Nowadays, Tommy Hilfiger has created an adaptive line for individuals with disabilities, the Target brand Cat and Jack have created sensory sensitive clothing, and Nike has begun to create adaptive shoes.
I got to meet and chat with Madeline and her mother at the recent February 2020 NYFW. As they were taking their seats for a runway Madeline was not walking in, I stopped them and asked Madeline to pose for some photographs. I was able to personally thank her and her mother for all that they do for inclusion in the fashion industry.
Inclusion has begun to take hold on the consumer level, and it is advocates like Madeline and Rosanne Stuart that are furthering the narrative and importance of encouraging representation of individuals with special needs or disabilities. It is such a beautiful and powerful change that holds significant importance for the global community as it begins to acknowledge the inherent dignity of each person.
Images by Katherine M. Blanner