Francesca Rausi is 4-year-old and has Down syndrome. She in a fashion show for disabled models in Malta put quite a spell on her audience as she walked the runway.
Rausi walked the ramp with extreme confidence having Madeline Stuart – the world’s first catwalk model with Down syndrome alongside. Australian model Stuart, the 23-year-old, has been previously credited for proving society’s perception of beauty wrong. She was lucky to the opportunity of walking at the New York Fashion week and she met some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Michelle’s mother Francesca wants her daughter to follow her footsteps and become a professional model. Michelle said that her little girl can perform just like any other kid by appreciating her little girl’s talents. She also believes that her modeling career could help raise awareness about Down syndrome.
She said during an interview with Metro that “Francesca has been modeling since she was very young.” She was the first toddler in Malta to take part in a modeling competition and won junior top model.
She also said Francesca is “very comfortable on the catwalk,” and that her latest appearance was actually her fifth time on a runway. Michelle also said that “I feel very emotional watching her because I see the happiness in her eyes. It’s out of this world.” She added that next week, Francesa would be competing in upcoming Malta’s Junior Miss Christmas. Charity organizer Tiziana Randisi started it in last year in order to challenge the prevalent thought about the limitations of people with disabilities.
There were 22-models between the ages of four and 24 in the fashion show. Randisi said, “Our goal is to create a real inclusion, trying to involve all the different disabilities by breaking down the mental barriers of those who see disability as a limit. Instead, we see it and live as a resource and wealth to share.”
There’s an Instagram page for her daughter which was made by Michelle to add many adorable photographs of Francesca. She had walked for at least 18 designers, including the likes of Tommy Hilfiger according to Madeline. There are over 300,000 followers in her Instagram profile.
photo credit – instagram.com/frani002/ , instagram.com/madelinesmodelling