A teenager who appeared in Vogue magazine has become the first model with Down syndrome to pose for Gucci Beauty, according to reports.
Ellie Goldstein has proven a massive hit with followers of the Gucci brand on Instagram, having racked up almost 800,000 likes.
The 18-year-old modelled Gucci Mascara L’Obscur for the campaign, becoming the first model with Down syndrome to feature.
As per Metro, Ellie signed with Zebedee Management, an agency which represents people with disabilities, in 2017. Since then she’s enjoyed a somewhat meteoric rise to the top, having been booked for any number of jobs.
Ellie’s family, from Essex, UK, are thrilled to see their daughter be handed such fantastic opportunities. The teenager’s mom, Yvonne, said: “We’re all incredibly proud of Ellie and all the lovely comments she has had on Gucci’s Instagram.
“She has always loved being in the limelight and in front of the camera, she’s very confident and good at taking direction.”
Ellie, meanwhile, said: “I really enjoyed the modelling and loved wearing the Gucci dress. I’m really proud of the photoshoot and would love to be famous. I’m looking forward to modelling for other brands.”
The talented young woman has also featured in campaigns for Superdrug and Nike over the past two years. Zebedee Management have said that research suggests only 0.06% of those featured in advertising have a disability, and that figure went down to just 0.01-0.02% concerning fashion and beauty advertising.
Laura Johnson, of Zebedee, said: “This is only one or two models in 10,000! Brands can no longer say that the “public don’t want to see” disabled models, as this Insta post proves otherwise!”
Indeed! The idea that people don’t want to see models with disabilities is nothing more than a myth. I’m so happy to see people like Ellie tearing down barriers and breaking misconceptions.
Share this article if you think all people should be afforded the same opportunities, regardless of how they were born.
