A Swansea woman with Down's syndrome is set to launch her modelling career after being signed by a major agency.
Beth Matthews, 22, has been signed by inclusive agency Zebedee, after her mother, Fiona Matthews, had been introduced to it by her aunt and niece.
Zebedee aims for better representation for people with disabilities and differences in the fashion industry, coining the term, 'inclusion revolution'.
Beth's aunt and cousins had read an article about another of the agency's models, Ellie Goldstein who had recently represented Gucci.
Fiona said her family had brought the article to her with Beth in mind.
"They showed me this article and said, 'Beth could do this, she loves dressing up and she loves being in front of the camera and so we took it from there.
"We booked a makeup artist and photographer for Beth, to see how she'd be in front of the camera. We wanted to make sure she was 100% happy and comfortable before we went any further.
"So Graham Smith, from All About The Image, and Kelly Louise, from Make Me Over Kelly Louise, came to the house last summer and set up a studio. None of us knew what to expect, but Beth was a natural. Graham kept bringing the camera over and saying 'have you seen these (photos)? They're amazing!'"
After the success of their home shoot, Fiona and Beth picked six photos to send to Zebedee at the end of August, 2021, and by September, Beth had been signed.
Since then, Beth has done a handful of self tapes for Zebedee, and has taken part in a bridalwear shoot for The Bridal Den, based in Pontlliw.
"They were looking for a model with special needs, to represent the inclusivity of their brand" Fiona said.
"We sent a few pictures via Facebook, and she was selected out of all the applicants. We were keen to see how she performed in front of new people, but once again, she was amazing.
"Since we started this journey, Beth has become 100% more confident. She's really enjoying the whole experience, and we can't believe how much she has blossomed. We are very proud of her."
Beth is aiming for Hollywood one day, but for now, she and her mum are just happy having adventures
"Since Beth's first appearance in mainstream media, we have been interviewed on the radio, on the TV, and she has featured in Vouge Italia and Marie Clare Brazil. She has gone viral, and she is loving every minute of it. Before her TV interview she turned to me and said, 'I'm loving this mum'."
Fiona hopes that, in a small way, Beth can be some sort of inspiration to parents of children with Down's syndrome.
She said: "We have had some really lovely messages from other parents of children with Down syndrome who have said that Beth has given them hope for their baby daughter, and that is really lovely to hear.
"We have been asked about what advice we would give to other parents, but we are by no means experts, we are still learning things every day."
Get Swansea stories straight to your inbox with our newsletter.
