What is remarkable is that she has Down's Syndrome.

Born and bred in Australia, she flew 28 hours across the world to take part in New York fashion week, where on Sunday she will tread the runway twice -- in couture and resort wear.

She is not the first Down's model to walk in New York but her mother celebrates her inclusion as a sign that the stiff, intimidating world of fashion is slowly opening up to more diverse women.

"Madeline is very excited," her mother Rosanne Stuart told AFP backstage at rehearsals for Sunday's show at Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Station -- one of Manhattan's best-loved landmarks.

"I think it's amazing that she's been given this opportunity. It's a fantastic platform for us to get our beliefs across on inclusion and disability."