Meet the Brave Model Changing the Fashion Industry One Catwalk at a Time

Many celebrities have been posting photos of themselves breastfeeding their babies over the past few years as a way to normalize it. But 37-year-old fashion model Mara Martin took things one step further when she showed up at a fashion show while feeding her baby. 5 years later, Martin is back in the spotlight and inspiring people with yet another runway appearance.

Mara Martin first made headlines in 2018 when she breastfed her baby on the runway.

37-year-old Mara Martin is a successful model from Miami, FL. Back in 2018, Martin went viral when she walked down the catwalk at a Sports Illustrated show while breastfeeding her baby girl. The model was seen with a bright smile on her face, wearing a sparkly bikini, and carrying her adorable 5-month-old.

Many people praised the model for the act, but Martin went on Instagram to explain that what she did was something that should be considered normal and not extraordinary. “I can’t believe I am waking up to headlines with me and my daughter in them for doing something I do every day,” she wrote. Adding that she is “so grateful to be able to share this message and hopefully normalize breastfeeding and also show others that women CAN DO IT ALL!”

5 years later, Mara Martin was back on the catwalk while 8 months pregnant with her second child.

5 years have passed since the fashion show that made Mara Martin famous. And in 2023, the model was back in the headlines, this time at a swimsuit show for LainSnow while 8 months pregnant with her second child. Martin was also accompanied by her now 5-year-old daughter, the baby she was breastfeeding on the runway in 2018.

Martin is trying to normalize motherhood in the fashion industry.

After walking the runway with both of her kids (one holding her hand, the other in her belly) back in June 2023, Mara Martin explained what changes she hopes to see in the future. “I remember saying in 2018, hopefully, these aren’t conversations when [my children] are this age. They’re kind of just a normal thing,” she confessed.

“[We should] really be showing all women in different stages, whether that is being pregnant or 50, just all across the board. I think it’s a really great shift to see because women — and men — want to see themselves out there,” Martin continued.

Mara Martin also revealed that she almost refused to walk for LainSnow with her daughter because she felt self-conscious about her pregnant body. “Being 8 months pregnant and seeing my body change so much has been hard for me at times. But then it hit me: our bodies are beautiful in every stage, and to miss out on this opportunity with my Aria because my body shape had changed would be my biggest regret.”

The model welcomed her second daughter on August 4. She hopes to continue to inspire other moms, and also to make a difference in the fashion world to be kinder and more inclusive to people of all shapes and sizes.

We previously featured Mara Martin breastfeeding her daughter on the catwalk in another article about inspiring models. Check it out to read more stories about the daring women revolutionizing the fashion world.