Strutting with poise, sporting chic fits and honing her artistic skills, Sania Khimji seems to be acing it all. The Bengaluru-based model, who has Down Syndrome, went viral on Instagram recently with one of her reels reaching one million views. “My goal is to be popular and be on TV someday! I love modelling. I feel happy when I’m doing it,” gushes the 22-year-old.
Sania first participated in a fashion show in 2016. Mudita Khimji, Sania’s mother, says, “They gave prizes to everyone but she received a lot of praise and everyone really liked her walk. At the time, I didn’t think much of it and didn’t push her to model because there’s a lot of stereotypes that are still being battled in India. But she’s won most of the pageant shows she’s ever participated in. Sania has also done an international shoot and ads for Indian brands, too.”
Talking about how Sania often receives admiration for her walk on Instagram, Mudita says, “People have loved watching her walk on the ramp. She stands out from the rest! People often comment saying that watching her was the best part of it.”
Sania, who has set her sights on walking at Bangalore Fashion Week next, was also among the batch of diverse models launched last year by fashion choreographer Prasad Bidapa. But the glory hasn’t been without its share of struggle. “We’ve had to deal with lack of acceptance. Apart from that, height is always a crucial criteria for modelling and that’s been an obstacle,” says Mudita.
{{/usCountry}}Sania, who has set her sights on walking at Bangalore Fashion Week next, was also among the batch of diverse models launched last year by fashion choreographer Prasad Bidapa. But the glory hasn’t been without its share of struggle. “We’ve had to deal with lack of acceptance. Apart from that, height is always a crucial criteria for modelling and that’s been an obstacle,” says Mudita.
{{/usCountry}}The young model is also a keen artist. “Down syndrome affects every cell in the body and even motor skills,” shares Mudita, adding, “The reason we put her into art is to improve her finer motor skills because we didn’t want to just stick to therapy and make it boring for her. She’s always enjoyed colouring and crafting.”