Four-Year-Old Girl With Down Syndrome Took The Catwalk By Storm During A Fashion Show For Models With Disabilities
Sep 02, 2020 by apost team
Francesca Rausi is a 4-year-old fashion model from Malta with Down syndrome. She has walked at a fashion show for disabled models in Malta and has even participated in a modeling competition that won her the "junior top model" title.
Be sure to reach the end of this article to see the full video :-)
All photos were used with the explicit permission of Michelle Rausi
A little girl from the tiny country Malta has been challenging society's perception of what it means to be beautiful ever since she took up modeling as a career.
Francesca Rausi is a 4-year-old fashion model with Down syndrome. She has walked at a fashion show for disabled models in Malta and has even participated in a modeling competition that won her the "junior top model," title, among other achievements, her mom told Metro.
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In an interview with apost, her mother, Michelle, says that Francesca has been modeling since she was a toddler. Since then, she has appeared more than five times on the catwalk at fashion shows and has become very comfortable with her role.
It all started when Michelle's friend, who runs a leading model agency in Malta, persuaded her to have Francesca walk in a fashion show. And, although skeptical at first, Michelle then signed Francesca up in a modeling competition.
"Another friend of mine asked me to take her to a modeling competition and I was scared at first," she shared. "But I know Fran loves it and it will be great for [Down syndrome] awareness."
All photos were used with the explicit permission of Michelle Rausi
"Wherever we go, everybody [recognizes] Francesca as she appears often on Maltese TV and social media," added Michelle. "So whenever you are with Fran, you'll need more time because everyone will stop us in the streets, in restaurants, wherever we are."
Francesca's most recent appearance was in a model fashion show in Malta organized by Tiziana Randisi in an effort to promote the inclusion of disabled women in the world of fashion. The show featured 22 models with various disabilities, aged four to 24. The goal was to change the minds of people who think of a disability as a limit and to show that these models are not limited at all.
This heartwarming story of a plucky little girl not afraid to pursue her dreams deserves to be spread far and wide. Do you have personal experience with Down syndrome? Tell us about it and help raise awareness for Down syndrome by passing this along to your friends and family.