Ellie Goldstein, model with Down syndrome, stuns in Gucci’s Vogue Italia campaign!

18-year-old Ellie Goldstein becomes the world’s first model with Down syndrome to be featured in Vogue. This is indeed a great start to inclusion in international fashion. It is high-time that Indian fashion companies also follow suit.

To those who believes that people with disabilities cannot be models, 18-year-old Ellie Goldstein shows how it is done the right way in style. Ellie is starring in a Gucci beauty campaign on Vogue Italia’s website to become World’s first model with Down syndrome to be featured in Vogue. Undoubtedly, she is over the moon! Ellie, who hails from Essex in London has truly achieved something path-breaking. So now more youngsters with Down syndrome can follow her path and make their fashion dreams a reality.

Ellie followed her dreams

Ellie’s family hails from Essex in London and is currently pursuing a course at the performing arts course at Redbridge.

She was signed up by Zebedee Management, an organization that promotes people with disabilities. Ellie modelled for Gucci mascara L’Obscur for which she was featured in Vogue.

For this youngster who has taken part in many beauty campaigns and ads including Nike, the one with Vogue will definitely remain close to the heart. Gucci shared a photo of Ellie on Instagram to which she commented, “I love this. Thank you for this amazing opportunity and a fabulous day shooting”.

The need for inclusion in fashion

Even today, inclusion in fashion is still distant in most parts of the world. Renowned brands are hesitant to rope in models with disabilities, especially those with neuro-development disabilities. With international names like Vogue showing the right direction, it is high-time that more companies follow suit even in India.

Usha Menon’s daughter Anita Menon has Down syndrome. Anita aspires to be a model and has worked with a couple of brands including Pune based cloth brand Hasthakari. Usha says that Indian brands are reluctant to have a model with Down syndrome for many reasons.

“I have been sending across Anita’s details to companies since the year 2016. Most of the people around me discouraged saying that someone with Down syndrome cannot be a model. It is great to see the platform that Ellie Goldstein has received, and I genuinely hope Indian brands are seeing this so that they can also get inspired. Let this be a good start for inclusion in fashion”, she says.

Priya Bhargava, a wheelchair user was a beauty pageant winner. Priya, who is a psychologist says, “Ellie Goldstein’s achievement shows diminishing boundaries between so called abled and disabled. Though I see inclusion in many fields, it is way lesser when it comes to fashion. It is high-time that talent is chosen over anything else. Visibility of people with disabilities proves authenticity of the product and the company. I wish Indian companies do something similar. Disabled people are talented, they just need the right opportunities”.

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• Meet Daksha Agnihotri, a model with Down syndrome, who is out to shake the beauty industry