Model breaks stereotypes, becomes first teen with Down Syndrome to star in Gucci campaign

18-year-old Ellie Goldstein became the first model with Down Syndrome to star in a Gucci Beauty ad campaign which was featured online in the Italian version of Vogue. Goldstein was photographed by David PD Hyde wearing a Gucci Mascara L’Obscur.

As part of a partnership venture between Vogue Italia and Gucci Beauty, Ellie Goldstein from Essex, UK, was chosen as the face and the star of the campaign. The model who is represented by a specialist talent agency in the UK called Zebedee Management, which primarily works with differently-abled people, suggested her name in an effort to "supply diverse models while offering sensitive representation".

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Gucci Beauty's creative director Alessandro Michele, in an interview to a fashion tabloid, stated that the company's cosmetic products were designed for "authentic" people who use their make-up to tell their "story of freedom" in their own unique way. "We called it L’Obscur because this word balances charm and mystery", he added.

Goldstein's photoshoot was a remarkable success, going by the outpouring of positive responses it has thus far garnered on social media. Gucci shared the image on June 19 and the image has since ruled the rooster with a volume of appreciation like never before. Her photograph, on Gucci Beauty's Instagram account, is the most "liked" image with over 8,00,000 "hearts" to it at the time of publishing this article.

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After the photos and post went viral on Instagram, Goldstein commented on the post to express her gratitude to Michele, who responded with hearts, followed by a flurry of responses by netizens and fans, with users sharing messages of admiration for Goldstein. "Beauty beyond limits," one person said, while another described her as a "shining soul."

However, this isn't the first high-profile ad Goldstein has been a part of, she has reportedly been featured in campaigns for several leading brands such as Nike, Vodafone and Superdrug, over the years.

Notably, Gucci has been slammed in the past for lack of diversity and for cultural appropriation among its ranks for many years now. So, this initiative was a long-time coming according to some fashion and beauty experts.

Gucci not only launched a talent hunt for the model but also the photographer. Hyde was finally chosen as a result of the Gucci Beauty and Photo Vogue Festival which took place in November 2019. Each contestant was required to explore the theme "unconventional beauty", and reportedly over 6,000 photographs were uploaded by applicants from around the world, out of which Hyde's photo was chosen.

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