9-Year-Old Model With Down Syndrome Signs With GAP, Will Walk in Fashion Show

Kayla Kosmalski, a 9-year-old with Down syndrome, has just signed with GAP as a new model and will be walking in Ellen DeGenres' fashion show. The inspiring little girl was picked by the television host to walk in her fashion show in Miami for her new clothing line with GapKids this upcoming weekend. Kosmalski is set to join 13 other “power girls” for the big show, which, in total, features four girls who have disabilities.

DeGeneres is teaming up with the famous Changing the Face of Beauty organization, which is an advocate for the “equal representation of people with disabilities in advertising and the media.” The founder of the non-profit organization discussed the milestone of Kosmalski being chosen for the major fashion show for Ellen DeGeneres with PEOPLE magazine. “Kayla is just a great little girl. She enjoys the spotlight and the modeling scene, so it was a good fit,” she stated.

The 9-year-old has been involved in tons of beauty pageants across the country, is also a member of a dance team and is joining a list of other girls with Down syndrome breaking into the fashion world. Just last week, it was announced that Madeline Stuart, a famous model with Down syndrome, would be walking in her first show for New York Fashion Week. She is also following in the footsteps of Jamie Brewer, who was the first model with Down syndrome to walk in the major city’s Fashion Week just last year. Brewer is also an actress on the hit television series, American Horror Story.

Reports say there is no confirmation as to whether DeGeneres will be in attendance for the event. The founder of Changing the Face of Beauty commented on her being in attendance, joking, “Wouldn’t that be great?”