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Jewish model with Downs Syndrome makes history with British Vogue cover

Last year Ellie Goldstein was Gucci's first Downs Syndrome model

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A Jewish model has achieved her lifelong dream of being a magazine cover star after being featured on this month's cover of British Vogue.

Ellie Goldstein, from Ilford in Essex, made history last year as the first Downs Syndrome model for Italian fashion house Gucci and has now been chosen as one of five models to feature on the cover of British Vogue's May 2023 "Dynamic, Daring and Disabled" issue.

In his letter from the editor in this month's issue, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful said that he hoped the magazine would encourage people to feel differently about disabilities and for "fashion to build a better, more accessible and inclusive industry."

Ellie who lives in Essex with mum Yvonne, dad Mark, sister Amy and nephew Blake, is just 21-years-old and has booked modelling gigs all over the world. Last year, she was featured in Gucci's most liked Instagram post ever.

Goldstein started modelling five years ago in 2017, working with the Zebedee talent agency, which largely works with models with disabilities.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBlzf0vCuAR/

Last year, she told the Ilford Recorder that she'd wanted to be a model since she was five years old, saying: "I always loved the camera and posing, and being the centre of attention - like I always am."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrENnPTN9Pp/

She added: "Since I was tiny, I’ve loved to dress up. I used to put on my sister Amy’s make-up, pretending I was on a catwalk. I had sparkly black leggings and a silver sparkly top. My mum did my hair with gems and headbands to match. I loved everything that sparkled!"

In her interview for Vogue, Goldstein said that she was proud to embrace her disability and that it "taught me to be ‘me’ – and not to be scared of doing things louder in the world."

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