Fashion always influences people. Isabella Springmuhl Tejada from Guatemala, one of the first professional fashion designers with Down syndrome (唐氏综合征), is proving that fashion goes beyond normal limits.
Tejada who discovered her hobby in childhood said, “I think that fashion design is in my blood.” After all, her grandmother had a studio where she produced Guatemalan-style clothing.And, when she was young, Tejada’s mother gave her fashion magazines to read. Tejada spent hours of her childhood reading the magazines and designing paper dresses for her dolls. By the time she reached high school, Tejada had decided to enter the world.
After being refused by several fashion schools because of her Down syndrome, Tejada found her own path. She signed up for a clothing-making course, where she began to make clothing for “worry dolls”, finger-sized traditional Guatemalan dolls. And she created life-sized dolls and dressed them in the colorful clothes that she’s now famous for. This design experience greatly helped Tejada. She fell in love with traditional Guatemalan patterns and colors. She explained, “I’m lucky to work with traditional cloth, inspired by our culture and representing our country.”
Tejada also pioneered fashion design for people with Down syndrome. She said, “It is difficult for people like me to find suitable clothes. We can be shorter or weaker. That’s why I decided to design clothes that would be perfect for people with Down syndrome.”
Tejada has created her brand, Down to Xjabelle. The new brand took off right away. It made it all the way to London Fashion Week. And the great designer has plans for the future as well. Tejada said, “I want people all over the world to know my designs and to know that people with Down syndrome can do what they set out to do. I want to be able to live on my own.”
【小题1】What awakened Tejada’s love for fashion design?| A．Her family’s strong influence. | B．Her visit to a design school. |
| C．Her efforts to fight her disease. | D．Her work experience in a famous company. |
| A．It proved her ability to run a business. |
| B．It increased her interest in traditional design styles. |
| C．It strengthened her wish to travel around the world. |
| D．It inspired her to learn about different cultures. |
| A．Her illness has been successfully cured. |
| B．She won’t let her disability limit her. |
| C．Her brand is facing serious competition. |
| D．She can’t please normal customers with her design ideas. |
| A．Learn the Value of Traditional Culture | B．Fashion is Closely Connected with Daily Life |
| C．A Special Designer Turns Her Dream into Reality | D．Develop a Hobby from an Early Age |
