Madeline Stuart Interview by Carol Wright Photos by Wildflower Portraits and Paulina Duczman
When did you first become passionate about modeling? When I was 17, I went to a fashion show with my mum and I fell in love with the catwalk as soon as I saw how much fun the models were having and how beautiful they all looked. It was funny because before I got interested in Modeling I hated make-up and would be happy to wear anything, now I like to try on at least 3 outfits every morning to make sure I look just right before leaving the house. Mum says I have become a Diva. When your career was just starting did you have to face rejection often? What kept you motivated to keep pursuing your dreams? Actually when my career first started I was going Viral. I think I was in the press constantly for the first 2 years so there was some negativity, especially from trolls, people say you know you are going Viral when the trolls get involved. Outside social media there was not a lot of rejection as we never really approached anyone as people kept reaching out to us so I didn’t understand rejection, it seemed most people just wanted to support me and support diversity, it was very much the trend at the time. Now over 3 years later I do not get as much press as I am not a new sensation anymore, most people know who I am and we now reach out to a lot of companies and we have learnt what rejection is but that is a good thing as now we are reaching out to people who would not 18
usually consider diversity and even though they may say no to me it will open their minds and they will start seeing what is happening in the world and with time they may become open to it. I think the one thing that always keeps me motivated is people, I love meeting new people, I love it when people recognize me and ask for a photo, I love being on the catwalk and the audience cheering, it is the most amazing feeling in the world to be accepted and loved. Do you feel as though the fashion industry has been taking significant steps in terms of diversity or does the industry still have a long way to go? Yes it has taken significant steps but at the same time there still is a long way to go. There is always room for improvement in any industry. We still try our hardest to push the boundaries but the boundaries are constantly getting bigger which is amazing and this tells us the fashion industry is changing. If you looked 12 months ago we were fighting to get campaigns to include diversity and we have seen that on lots of occasions now, it has gotten to a point where only some campaigns receive press which tells me it is becoming the norm, of course it still has a long way to go, I think the next step will be when someone with a disability becomes the face of a brand, that would be amazing progress and it would tell the world that disabilities do not define someone but just a small part of who someone is, they are a person first and foremost and their disability does not define them.
