Marian Avila: Spanish Model With Down Syndrome Proves That No Dream Is Unachievable

A Spanish young woman made a successful career as a model despite her "special condition" and difficulties landing a job in the industry. Marian Avila, who has Down syndrome, is capturing media attention as she brings awareness to the chromosomal disorder and encourages people to chase their dreams no matter what.

Marian Avila always dreamed of becoming a model since she was a child. But apart from the Down Syndrome condition, she also stands at only 5 feet and 3 inches, which would normally have made it even harder for her to achieve her dreams of becoming a model, according to a The Epoch Times report.

Marian Avila's Break as a Model

Marian Avila continued to persevere and completed a professional course in a modeling school in 2016. She then started her debut as a model at Lina Lavin's charity show in Madrid the same year.

Her biggest dream was to appear on the catwalk at one of the world-famous Fashion Weeks, and she fulfilled it in 2018 when she was able to show off several outfits on the runway during the New York Fashion Week, according to an MBNC News report. Her family also attended the event and cheered for her from the sidelines.

"I got a letter saying that designer Talisha White wanted me to walk as her 'celebrity model' at New York Fashion Week on September 8, 2018," Avila shared on her website.

Avila further noted that she could not stop crying from the emotion, realizing that it is finally her dream.

"I am going to parade in New York, I have no words, I am going to fulfill my dream," the Spanish model said in the report.

Meanwhile, White said that Avila had been a busy supermodel, and she was happy for her. The designer added that the Spanish model has been meeting with different modeling agencies and visiting different showrooms.

White was known to show all forms of diversity on the runway by including one model in a wheelchair, who is Tae McKenzie from North Carolina, and another girl with down syndrome.

"People like Marian Avila and Tae McKenzie, who are breaking boundaries in the fashion industry," White said in a report.

After her modeling stint in the New York Fashion Week in 2018, her career started to escalate. She has appeared in publications like The New York Times, Vogue, and Vanity Fair.

The 23-year-old Spanish model is now the official face of a new campaign by the famous jean brand, Levi. She currently lives in Benidorm, Alicante, Spain, and has garnered a social media following of more than 39,500.

Marian Avila uses her social media platform to raise awareness about Down Syndrome and inspire others with her story.

Aside from achieving her dreams in modeling, she also won a Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award in November 2020. The award recognizes her efforts to champion those who are differently-abled, according to a People report.