JOHOR BARU: A group of young Malaysians with Down syndrome took to the catwalk dressed in colourful outfits and bright smiles at a fashion show held in conjunction with the National Month here.
The participants, mostly children, took turns showing off their modelling skills and outfits, with some twirling in their dresses while others struck cheeky poses that drew laughter and applause from the crowd.
Among them was 11-year-old Naira Muhammad Asraf, who came dressed in her new dress and a white veil dotted with colourful flowers.
“It is not easy for her to wake up in the morning, but this morning, she got out of bed without much fuss and immediately started getting ready for the fashion show,” said Naira’s mother, Nur Raimi Mohd Abdul Rashid, when met during the Mini Merdeka Catwalk event at Chikopi Cafe yesterday.
Nur Raimi said this was the first time her youngest daughter had participated in a fashion show outside school.
“Naira loves dressing up, and such events allow her to do so. It makes her feel happy, special and pretty,” she added.
The 42-year-old engineer said she began preparing Naira for the show about two weeks ago, including ordering the dress online.
“We bought the dress online as a set. I then fashioned a piece of white fabric into a veil and sewed on some flowers to make it more colourful,” said the mother of three.
Also happy to get dressed up was 14-year-old Nurul Qaleeshah Nurul Huda, who bagged first prize in the friendly catwalk contest.
Masnishah Mohd Shahyar, 57, said her daughter, who is the youngest of four siblings, had been taking part in fashion shows since she was a toddler.
“Getting ready for such shows normally goes very smoothly for us because it is something that she really enjoys.
“She likes participating in fashion shows, and we encourage her to do so because it makes her very happy,” she added.
Masnishah, a retiree, said this was the first time Nurul Qaleeshah had taken part in a show in Johor, as her previous participations were in Selangor, where the family used to live.
Meanwhile, Nurliana Athirah Mohd Nida, 23, said her 11-year-old brother, Anas Mohd Nida, only found out he was taking part in the fashion show on the day of the event.
“We decided to sign him up because we just wanted him to have fun.
“We did not actually tell him what it was. We just got him ready, brought him here and played it by ear,” she said.
She added that Anas, who wore a Baju Melayu in the colours of the Jalur Gemilang, enjoyed himself very much at the event.
Johor Down Syndrome Association president Noordini Che Man said about 11 people, aged between six and 24, took part in their inaugural fashion show.
“We decided to organise this not only to make them happy, but also as a way to mark National Day and Malaysia Day,” she said.
The association hopes to host a larger event next year to allow more people to participate, she added.
