Raul Rodriguez: Down Syndrome Model
Raul Rodriguez is a 32 year old model from Cordoba. Many of his followers tag him ´guapo´ (Spanish for handsome) on a daily basis and his management believe he is slowly becoming a household name within Spain. Raul also has Down Syndrome.
With so many examples of fashion developing augmentations in social, mental and physical inclusions (alongside humanitarian values), Raul is just one of a number of real issues being currently and sometimes controversially tackled by the apparel world. (Think Chantelle Brown-Young the America´s Next Top Model with the skin pigmentation disorder Vitiligo and designers like J.W. Anderson and Dame Vivienne Westwood who are challenging gender stereotypes, roles and values.) So far, this has been a very progressive year for fashion.
Raul has just been signed by Spanish brand Silbon within an initiative dubbed ´Commitment´ with an objective “To acknowledge that people like Raul Rodriguez, the image of our new campaign, can lead a normal life” a spokesperson quoted.
The Silbon Campaign
The Silbon campaign will run throughout the month of March and donate 1 Euro to the charity ´Down´s Córdoba´ for each item that is sold within its stores (Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Córdoba, Granada, Jaén and Tenerife) both on and off-line.
Raul has seen this opportunity of being a model as a good addition to his development and training. “I’m taking a course in new technologies and practices through the Delegation of Health Board. I hope to find a job related to the administrative sector and not necessarily within fashion.´
If this is the changing face of fashion, then it´s an industry that I´m proud to work in. It puts The Kardashians into a harsh perspective, doesn´t it?
