Who is Maju de Araújo, the model with Down syndrome who shines at Paris Fashion Week?

The main cities in Europe will be home to the biggest professional models, actresses and influencers for the Fashion Weeks this week and in the coming weeks. Maju de Araújo, 22, from Rio de Janeiro, is one of them.

She has taken part in fashion shows in Paris and Milan in recent days. She was also on the catwalk for L’Oreal, a brand for which she is an ambassador, alongside names such as Anitta, Taís Araujo, Larissa Manoela, Kendall Jenner and Cara Delevingne. Among so many actresses and singers, Maju stands out for being the only model with Down syndrome to take part in these fashion events, which are among the most important in the world.

On her social media, you can follow her schedule of fittings, fashion shows, events and meetings with celebrities. Following her commitments in Paris and Milan, she will continue on a tour of Europe, awarding people with disabilities who, like her, stand out publicly in each country.

In conversation with the F5the model and her mother and businesswoman, Adriana Araújo, talked about how entering the world of fashion, motivated by her daughter’s dream, changed their lives and involved the whole family in her career, which is increasingly international.

Maju describes herself as a “warrior, beautiful and intelligent”, with confidence shining in her eyes. From party caterers to talent agency owners, they now travel the world searching for new names to represent.

Maju’s career began in 2018, when she was discovered by Grupo MGT, responsible for Projeto Passarela, the same project that revealed Larissa Manoela. They immediately recognized her talent for fashion. Before that, however, her mother and sisters, Ana and Larissa, had already noticed her artistic side.

“Maju always expressed her desire to be a model, and Adriana was the first person who understood the space she could conquer. We also began to realize her potential and listen to her. I had the idea of ​​professionalizing her, so I created Instagram and Larissa was responsible for the execution”, said Ana, who also participated in the interview.

Through social media, the young woman began to get jobs, took a professional training course, obtained her license and began working as a model. However, the path was not easy, as her mother had to fight to enroll her daughter in a school that trains new talents for fashion, and agencies often turned her down.

Once the doors opened, she walked in several events in Brazil, even achieving a world record as the model with the most shows in a single edition of a Fashion Week, with more than forty shows in the third edition of Osasco Fashion Week, in 2020.

“Maju is very resilient. There have been fashion weeks where we thought: ‘My God, will she be able to do it?’. There were so many brands to show at. But she always said she wanted to do all the shows. It was incredible that she was awarded for this, because it was her choice,” said Adriana.

On this trip to Europe, the family is looking to strengthen its ties with brands, to further expand Maju’s career. In addition to her professional side, the mother shares that she also has her own dreams and ambitions: “She already has a boyfriend, right? (looking and smiling at her daughter) And she wants to get married.”

Prejudice against people with intellectual disabilities is a reality that Maju cannot escape. On social media, Adriana spoke out about the harassing comments her daughter faces.

“With a lot of effort we manage to occupy spaces, but no matter how far we get; there will always be hate and evil from other people. This is not limited to the internet and these are not fake profiles. This is our reality, and these are real people, with real intentions,” she wrote on Instagram.

This appeal resulted in the Maju de Araújo Bill, proposed by Rio de Janeiro congressman Fred Pacheco. The goal is to make it mandatory to create strategies for a safer and more inclusive online environment, combating online harassment and cyberbullying targeting people with disabilities. The bill is currently under review by the City Council.

“We are activists, aren’t we? The entire Maju team. Our purpose in life is to work for inclusion and open doors,” says Adriana.