A 16-year-old model from Oakville, Ont., who made her Paris Fashion Week debut on Friday is not just remarkable because she's only been in the business for six months.
Emm Arruda was born with scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty.
She'd long been interested in modelling, but in a business that craves perfection, she didn't think the profession would ever be a possibility because of her condition.
"It made me self-conscious of my body. I wouldn't wear tight shirts or something with a symbol on it because you could see it was turned sideways," Arruda said between fittings and auditions in Paris.
She added that she would instead wear baggy clothing to hide the pronounced S-curve in her back.
Signed 6 months after surgery
Two years ago, Arruda had major surgery called spinal fusion. Doctors straightened her back using titanium rods and screws. These will grow together with the spinal bone, fusing it into the proper position.