One small strut for Daisy-May Demetre, one giant step for people living with disabilities.
The 9-year-old model made her much-anticipated debut at New York Fashion Week Sunday, becoming the first-ever double-amputee to walk a Big Apple show, Pix11 reported. Demetre, a resident of Birmingham, United Kingdom, strutted her stuff on the catwalk for Lulu et Gigi Couture of France, which specializes in French-inspired luxury fashion for kids.
“I feel proud of myself,” Daisy-May said of her record-making journey down the catwalk.
“She walked it like a professional and had fun doing it,” added her father Alex Demetre, who said he always encouraged her to follow her dreams.
Daisy-May was born with fibular hemimelia, a rare defect in which part or all of the fibular bone is missing. As a result, she had to have both her legs amputated at just 18 months old and now uses prosthetic limbs to move and walk around.
Her life changed while she was watching TV with her dad one day, he said. “It just so happened on the TV pops up a disabled modeling agency,” Demetre told CBS News. He asked Daisy-May if she wanted to be a supermodel, to which she replied “yes.”
From there, Daisy-May’s career took off like a whirlwind, modeling for brands Nike and River Island along with other U.K. companies. She even ignited the internet with a cartwheel on the catwalk at London kids fashion week this past April, as seen in a video posted by Daisy-May’s father, who runs her Instagram page.
“She inspired me by showing me who she was,” her father told CNN. “She takes on life with a smile on her face, and she does remarkable things. Whether it’s dancing, singing, she is a very special little girl.”
Daisy-May is now a brand ambassador for Lulu et Gigi Couture of France, a title she landed in part due to her “instant connection” with designer Enikö Hegedüs-Buiron. The designer says that beauty is not “one-sided” but is rather a multifaceted thing, a sentiment echoed on the brand’s website: “We believe that beauty comes first; from within, and our garments are made to enhance each child’s uniqueness. Inclusion and diversity are fostered, celebrated and encouraged.”
Daisy-May will also take the catwalk for Lulu et Gigi Couture again later this month during Paris fashion week, where she’ll appear at the top of the Eiffel Tower.
“Just never give up and do what you can,” said Daisy-May.
