A fashion runway in Singapore turned into a moving celebration of inclusion, confidence and compassion on May 17 as children with special needs walked hand-in-hand with professional models and their mothers during the charity event “Runway Fashion For A Cause 2026”.
Organised by RSV Beaute Enterprise at Lemon Grass Restaurant in Upper Serangoon View, the event combined fashion, community spirit and fundraising in support of the Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN), which supports individuals with intellectual disabilities through education, training and life-skills programmes.
More than 250 guests attended the four-hour programme, which featured runway presentations, community performances and awareness initiatives during Mental Awareness Month.
The distinguished guest was Dr Adrian Ang, adviser to Bedok Reservoir–Punggol grassroots organisations, who is widely recognised for his community work, inclusive social engagement and advocacy for vulnerable groups.
What made the event especially meaningful was the sight of children with intellectual disabilities confidently walking the runway, some independently and others accompanied by their mothers, in front of an appreciative audience.
The initiative was organised by RSV Beaute Enterprise founders Nasreen Syed Zackriah, Sabah Ali Alkhatib and Vanessa Jacqueline Dcruz, all of whom come from pageantry and fashion backgrounds.
“We wanted to organise something different from a conventional fashion show,” said Ms Nasreen. “We wanted fashion to become a bridge for empowerment, acceptance and social impact.”
She said the organisers were inspired to create an inclusive platform during Mental Awareness Month to raise awareness and celebrate persons with intellectual disabilities.
The event featured 33 runway models in total, including 13 APSN beneficiaries from APSN Tanglin School and the organisation’s alumni network.
According to Executive Izza Azreen from APSN’s partnerships department, the participants were selected from APSN’s secondary school and alumni community after RSV Beaute approached the organisation for collaboration.
“Our beneficiaries have intellectual disabilities with IQ ranges between 50 and 70,” she explained. “Many of them have participated in fashion runway events before, so this was not entirely new to them.” (The normal or average IQ range is 85 to 115.)
Still, the experience remained deeply meaningful.
“They were very happy and excited walking down the runway,” Ms Izza said. “This year is APSN’s 50th anniversary, so collaborating with RSV Beaute during our golden jubilee year makes this especially memorable.”
One of the evening’s emotional highlights came during the mother-and-child runway segment.
Recruitment consultant Malvika Chordia walked the runway with her 11-year-old autistic son Purav Golecha, a student at Guild International College.
“To be very honest, I was nervous initially,” she admitted. “But seeing my son enjoy the music and atmosphere made me very happy.”
Purav is non-verbal and sensitive to loud sounds, but Ms Malvika praised the organisers for adjusting the music volume during his walk to make him comfortable.
“My son cannot express through words, but his smile showed me he enjoyed the experience,” she said. “That gave me satisfaction that I made the right decision.”
Another participant, Mrs Girija Venkatraman, described the event as “fashion with compassion”.
“Fashion is not just about style,” she said. “It is also a powerful way to spread awareness, kindness and positivity.”
RSV co-founder Vanessa said the organisers wanted the runway to demonstrate that persons with disabilities deserve equal respect and opportunities.
“These children are independent and capable,” she said. “Society should recognise them, encourage them and give them opportunities.”
A portion of the proceeds from the event will go towards APSN, with the remaining amount covering operational and production costs.
The organisers also received support from sponsors, designers and community partners.
Beyond fundraising, the event aimed to change perceptions, according to the organisers.
The final runway segment, where APSN participants walked independently with confidence, drew loud applause from the audience.
