Katie Meade just broke a new record and, no, we aren’t talking about her wins in gymnastics or basketball. Katie just landed the position as a spokesmodel for the new hair care line Beauty & Pin-Ups [1]. According to People magazine, Meade is the first woman with Down syndrome [2] to be featured as the face of a beauty campaign.
Related: What is Down syndrome? [3]
[4]COURTESY BEAUTY & PIN-UPS
Katie stated in an interview earlier “Being born with Down syndrome can cause many problems, both physical and mental. Kids would make fun of me. I wasn’t always accepted by the ‘normal’ kids and that hurt.” That will no longer be an issue for Katie. The Beauty & Pin-Ups CEO, Kenny Kahn, states, “The Beauty & Pin-Ups brand is a celebration of the empowerment of a woman and what it took to be a pin-up in 1935, and carrying that message in a modern sense”. Kahn continues, “So, as we were launching this product, in our mind it could have been the next traditional pin-up — but as soon as we came up with the name ‘Fearless’ it was really easy, we were like, ‘Well, Katie’s fearless.’” The two met through Best Buddies International [5], a nonprofit that helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and Katie Meade is an ambassador [6] for the organization. Katie went on to say, “People see me for who I am and they see me not as someone with a disability, but that I have ability”.
[7]COURTESY BEAUTY & PIN-UPS
Meade told People, “And I like to try new different things and I inspire women to do that. Beauty belongs to everybody.” This isn’t the first time the beauty and fashion spotlight has been shared with someone with different abilities. Last year, actress Jamie Brewer made headlines for becoming the first model with Down syndrome to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week. A few months later, model Madeline Stuart, who has Down syndrome, made her NYFW debut. These women are really breaking down the barriers for people with disabilities.
Fearless [8] from Beauty & Pin-Ups [9] on Vimeo [10].
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