The fashion and beauty industries are known to be cruel. The sector is oversaturated and very profitable, thus competition is fierce. Every season, multimillion dollar companies compete to sell their goods by planning outstanding advertising campaigns and enlisting the greatest talent available. Whether intentionally or not, the market leaves behind beauty standards that are not only unattainable for the average person but also extremely poisonous, damaging, and discriminatory.

Kate Grant from Northern Ireland is now here. Grant became the first individual with Down syndrome to represent the cosmetics company Benefit in 2019 at the young age of 20. Grant had competed in beauty rodeos before, though. 2018’s Teen Ultimate Beauty of the World Pageant was won by the model. According to the BBC, Grant was the first model with Down syndrome to walk the runway at the renowned Belfast Fashion Week in 2017.

When Grant was a featured guest on the BBC1 show “Role Models,” she initially indicated interest in pursuing modeling. She has now accomplished more and better things, such as serving as the face of the Benefit Roller Liner Eyeliner campaign. Benefit claimed that it “instantly fell in love” with Grant after seeing a film about her modeling career.

She epitomized everything we stand for as a business, so we knew we had to find a way to work with her, the firm said in a statement. “Her great energy was so contagious and we were intrigued by her incredible zeal for life and tenacity.”

Benefit also stated that it thought the advertising campaign would help to demonstrate “that beauty and cosmetics photos can positively include people from all walks of life.”

Grant’s 2019 Benefit ad highlighted the brand’s matte liquid liner, and it was a success, receiving praise from people all across the world. Grant made history once more later that year when she was named the first woman with Down syndrome to receive an honor in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Deirdre Grant, Grant’s mother, said they were “simply exploding with pride” in an interview with the BBC.

“Things are doable in life whether you have Down syndrome or not if you have a believe, work hard, have drive, and have a desire. Kate lived by that motto: “I worked hard, I was extremely driven, I believed in myself, and I knew where I wanted to go,” Deirdre recalled, adding, “And with that, she realized that she was representing the population with special needs and disabilities, and it propelled her ahead and made her stronger.”

Grant expressed her desire to continue using modeling to spread “understanding of persons with unique needs.” Grant was the first Down syndrome model to be signed in Northern Ireland in 2021.

Grant exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, I was over the moon,” as he told Belfast Live. I couldn’t believe it since I love what I’m doing. Simply put, I’m exhausted. It does not seem genuine. Here, my life is changing.

She reaffirmed her desire to keep bringing attention to underserved populations.

“I advocate for the inclusion of persons with disabilities or abilities using my platform. I speak for those who are unable to speak for themselves, she told the publication.

Grant is now loving life on the run and often uploads fashion and beauty updates to her more than 44,000 Instagram followers. One brief yet eloquent statement from Grant’s biography is “Different is lovely.”