‘Down and proud’ Bellingen NSW actor, model Raji Renshaw to return to catwalk at Kidz Fashion Week

Northern NSW teen Raji Renshaw loves everything about being a model and actor – the travel, make-up, shoes and clothing. Soon he’ll strut the catwalk in his fourth Kidz Fashion Week gig.

A Bowie inspired Raji Renshaw dressed for the Great Fashion Stitch Up.

Coffs Coast young man, Raji Renshaw, loves everything about being a model and actor – the travel, make-up, shoes and clothing.

Come October 26, the 15-year-old Bellingen identity, who has Down syndrome, will strut the catwalk in his fourth Kidz Fashion Week gig.

Raji is set to switch up his beloved punk look for a spooky Carnivale-themed lion tamer’s outfit.

Raji Renshaw modelling Tommy Hilfiger for Every Human Clothing.

Raji said he was thrilled when he had an audience – and not just on the runway.

“Acting is my jam,” he said.

“I’ve always loved acting and being in front of an audience.”

“Down and proud” Raji is an advocate for Illawarra-based social enterprise Celebrate T21.

He is represented by talent agency Zebedee as part of an “inclusion revolution” focusing on diverse models.

Raji Renshaw getting ready for Kidz Fashion Week at Dark Arts cafe, Coffs Harbour.

Mum Karlee Rawkins said Raji has been “posing and dressing up since he was a toddler”.

“He has always loved a costume and loved an audience,” she said.

Raji has appeared in many acting projects, including the ABC show What It’s Like: Down syndrome, the Summer 24 Lamb campaign and more recently in a Toyota TV commercial.

In a photo shoot for Celebrate T21, Raji Renshaw is a proud advocate for his community.

He has also performed in six youth theatre projects and had a scholarship with Full-On Theatre. Raji opened the show playing air guitar.

Ms Rawkins said her son “has always been exceptionally imaginative, flamboyant and confident”.

“He was born to be a superstar,” she said.

Raji however may well think he was born to be a punk.

“By far the most fun part of my career so far was being a punk,” he said.

Raji said he identified with and felt an affinity for the London punk scene after learning his grandparents were Londoners.

As far as acting genes go, they can be traced back to London as well – Raji’s great-grandfather was a sand dancer and comedian.

Zebedee Talent’s Australia/USA division lead Victoria Wilson said: “Raji has been an absolute delight to have on our books at Zebedee. He is vibrant, cool and creative.”

Raji Renshaw’s career highlight as a punk rocker in Kidz Fashion Week.

Ms Wilson said there has been “a shift in inclusive casting within the last 24 months in Australia”.

“It makes sense for people to cast inclusively and book diverse talent, including talent with disability,” she said.

“It is the right and ethical thing to do and it impacts the talent and wider community greatly.

“It makes sense for business reasons too – businesses make more money when they are inclusive, it has been proven in research.”

Ms Wilson said casting inclusively helped in “breaking down barriers and removing stigmas”.

“A lot of our talent say that if they had seen someone like them on screens or in print when they were younger it would have improved their confidence,” she said.

Celebrate T21 operates a national community service and states it brings together families in the Down syndrome community, “sharing their stories and providing inspiration”.

The organisation connects families with Down syndrome Australia, T21 Mum Network Australia and 321 Pregnancy Care.

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Originally published as ‘Down and proud’ Bellingen NSW actor, model Raji Renshaw to return to catwalk at Kidz Fashion Week