If any one of the more than 30 participants walking in Gigi’s Playhouse’s 7th annual fashion show were nervous as they hit the runway in New York City, it didn’t show.
The organization — where PEOPLE’s Alexandra Schonfeld interned with following the birth of her brother Carter, who has Down syndrome — has a network of Down syndrome achievement centers across the country (and opened its N.Y.C. location in 2012.)
Their mission? To “empower our diverse participants to be included in the greater community, to be their whole selves as they truly belong, and to make the world a better place.”
After just six weeks of preparation, this year’s red carpet was unloaded and the aux cord was plugged in to pump out each model’s song of choice as they walked to cheers at a packed high school auditorium on the Upper East Side on Saturday, March 8.
Andrew Manning
Laura Lyle walking in the 7th annual Gigi’s Playhouse fashion show.
Participants of all ages wore outfits picked special for the day including 21-year-old Laura Lyle who spotted the perfect dress for the occasion on Alivia’s website, a brand that highlights artists with disabilities.
“I saw this dress, [my caretaker] Kristin really liked it — I liked it too — so I told her I really wanted to get it and lo and behold here I am,” Lyle, who served as one of the day’s emcees and is a 2025 Gigi’s Playhouse ambassador, tells PEOPLE of floral strapless dress that she paired with a tiara.
Related: 1-Year-Old Shows Off Beautiful Smile After Being Chosen for Down Syndrome Awareness Campaign (Exclusive)
“It was so much fun walking the runway and rocking the world with my style,” she adds
To get ready for the show, which marked Lyle’s seventh appearance at the annual event, she started off the day with meditations and reciting affirmations.
“I tell myself that I am beautiful and that I love my body and that I’m strong and I make friends wherever I go,” she says.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
And for Malik Jabbar, 21, another veteran of the annual event, there were no nerves ahead of his big moment as a model and co-emcee.
“My favorite part about today is seeing lots of people — mostly seeing lots of families … and now we have new families join which is really happy and [we’re starting to build up] for the next generation of Gigi’s,” he says
Andrew Manning
Malik Jabbar shows off his jacket during Gigi’ Playhouse’s fashion show.
Claudia Holub, a member of Gigi’s young professionals board who helped to organize the day, says that so much went on behind the scenes to make the event a success, including securing a location, ordering food and drinks and landing sponsor.
But, she adds, “our models are truly the ones who made it happen.”
Related: Woman Has Been Photographing the Same People with Down Syndrome for 10 Years. Here’s What She’s Seen (Exclusive)
“They signed up: ‘Hey, I want to do this’, ” she continues. “They came to rehearsal, they put the effort in. They said, ‘This is my song. This is what I’m going to do. I’ll be there two times to give you a practice run,’ and then they came out today and did their best.”
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
For her big moment, Brittany Lee, 28, who walked — and showed off her dance moves — to Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul,” wore an outfit picked out by her mom, Mylinda. The fashionable ensemble included a bedazzled red shirt, chain belt and knee high boots, which she admitted weren’t the most comfortable.
“But it was okay,” she tells PEOPLE. “I was dancing it out.”
Read the original article on People
