Maju de Araújo - a unique model who is conquering the world

The realization of a dream for model Maju de Araújo, born in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) is more than a reason to be proud. It represents the fight against prejudice, the transposition of values and, above all, inclusion.

Photos courtesy of Instagram, @majudearaujo

The young woman, who has Down syndrome, believed in herself, dressed willingly and conquered the fashion world, but not before going through enormous difficulties.

Today, at age 19, Maju is the first Brazilian ambassador with Down syndrome for the L'oreal brand. Along with stars like Taís Araújo and Larissa Manoela, he reinforces the concept that beauty is in plurality.

The world has finally opened its doors to her and, with her talent and sympathy, she already shines in fashion shows in fashion weeks, including the one in Milan.

Over the years, Maju, according to her own account on her Instagram profile, fell ill several times. She had severe pneumonia and even underwent heart surgery when she was 13 years old.

At age 16, he went into a coma after contracting bacterial meningitis, but fortunately he recovered. Maju finds it difficult to speak, but, helped by her mother and sister, she expresses herself with texts and videos on social media.

The truth is that the young woman has always expressed her desire to be a model. Her mother, chef Adriana de Araújo, did not hesitate to support her daughter and, together, they went in search of what seemed impossible.

At first, after suffering from segregation and prejudice, Maju felt diminished. In an interview with El País, her mother, Adriana de Araújo, said: “She thought the fashion world would be inaccessible to her”.

The route was difficult and full of negatives wherever they went. “We often went to schools and they said there were no vacancies left,” Adriana explained to the Spanish newspaper.

The parents' efforts, including financial ones, were the driving force for Maju to finally find her opportunity. The model tells on her Instagram that she worked for free and even paid to walk around.

Today, that doesn't happen anymore, because his schedule is intense. In addition to working on the runways, the model advertises products ranging from food to mobile applications.

In 2020, she was included in the list of 200 Inspiring Personalities, carried out by SBT. In the same year, he paraded 40 times at Osasco Fashion Week!

According to Adriana de Araújo, her daughter's work is important for everyone at home. In the same interview with the newspaper El País, he revealed: “Maju has brought financial stability to our family with his work.”

Maju was discovered in 2018 by the MGT group, as she says on her website: "As soon as they looked at me, they recognized my potential to work in the fashion world and that, of course, transformed my life!"

“Being a model impacted my life in an extremely positive way: I became a more self-confident person”, she says.

The role of Maju de Araújo goes beyond work on the catwalks. She built a representation within the universe of people who have Down Syndrome.

“I can say that, when I look in the mirror, I'm very proud of the identity I've been building, mainly because I know I didn't build it alone, but with the support, partnership and support of incredible people!”, she recognizes.

On Instagram, Maju has nearly 400,000 followers and thousands of likes on her posts.

In the posts, it is not only possible to see her fight against prejudice and search for a more egalitarian world, but also a more playful side of the model.

Like so many people of his generation, Maju joined the internet 'dancing' bandwagon. He also stars, alongside several friends, in a webseries.

Maju has already shown its potential in countries like Portugal, Italy and France. With so much sympathy and joy of living, he will soon conquer the rest of the world.