WEModel USA Models Take Global Purpose to Sicilia International Fashion Week

WEModel USA Takes Fashion and Global Purpose to Sicilia International Fashion Week 2026

WEModel USA: Fashion With A Purpose

Eight U.S. models head to Italy, using fashion and youth leadership to advance global awareness of child-trafficking prevention through NWECare.

FORT WASHINGTON, MD, UNITED STATES, August 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- WEModel USA LLC and WEModel USA NWECare will take eight models from communities across the United States to Italy for Sicilia International Fashion Week, August 20–23, 2026. The international expedition will combine professional runway opportunities, cultural education and youth-led advocacy focused on the prevention of human and child trafficking.

The WEModel USA delegation departs for Italy on August 19. Before traveling to Sicily, the models will spend time in Rome learning about the city’s history and producing photographs, short-form videos and social media reels that promote child-trafficking prevention, personal safety, awareness and community responsibility.

The participating WEModel USA models are:

Dakarai Antonieo Curry, age 20, of Beaufort County, South Carolina, attends the University of South Carolina Beaufort.

Madalyn Rose Mika, age 21, of Bay City, Michigan, attends Delta College.

Malia Karin Fortmann, age 13, of Massachusetts, attends Dighton Middle School.

Jasmine Emily Hague, age 15, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, attends Acellus Academy, an online high school.

Annabella Sofia Steininger, age 16, of Bethesda, Maryland, attends Walter Johnson High School.

Amaya Michelle Perez, age 10, of Loxahatchee, Florida, attends Wellington Collegiate Academy.

Guadalupe “Lupita” Anez-Justiniano, age 48, of McLean, Virginia, is a flight attendant, model and pageantry professional.

Jaiden Nicole Summers, age 16, of Lewis Center, Ohio, attends Olentangy Berlin High School.

Each participant will serve not only as a runway model but also as an ambassador for WEModel USA NWECare. Through age-appropriate messages and media content, the models will encourage young audiences to recognize their value, protect their futures and understand the importance of trafficking prevention.

“This journey is about far more than walking an international runway,” said Dr. Patricia A. Watts, founder and owner of WEModel USA. “Our models are using fashion, creativity and their individual platforms to show young people that talent can carry purpose. They are representing their families, schools and communities while helping us bring an urgent prevention message to an international audience.”

Sicilia International Fashion Week is produced by Tonino Galli, who is bringing 15 designers from around the world to Sicily. The multi-day fashion program will showcase international designers, models and creative professionals in several of eastern Sicily’s renowned destinations.

The Fashion Week program runs August 20–23. A featured evening will be held August 22 at 8:30 p.m. at Palazzo Ardizzone Gioeni in Catania. The August 23 program will take place at Arena Lido Naxos in Giardini Naxos, near Taormina.

WEModel USA also extends its appreciation to Barbizon Modeling and Acting for inviting Dr. Watts to its annual Passport to Discovery event. The scouting event brings together hundreds of developing models and actors to present their abilities before agents and industry companies seeking new talent. Following the early-August event, Madalyn Mika and Jaiden Summers were selected to join the WEModel USA international expedition to Italy.

WEModel USA asks mayors, county leaders, school officials, and community representatives connected to the participating models to recognize the young people for representing their communities on an international platform. The organization also welcomes opportunities for local businesses to book WEModel USA models and talented youth for age-appropriate advertising, promotional campaigns, community events and creative media projects.

About WEModel USA

WEModel USA is a model development, entertainment, and creative production company that mentors emerging models and talented youth, develops professional skills, and connects participants with local, national, and international opportunities. The organization combines fashion and entertainment with cultural diplomacy, leadership development and measurable social impact.

About WEModel USA NWECare

WEModel USA NWECare is a nonprofit organization committed to prevention-first education, youth and women’s empowerment and community resilience against human trafficking. Through awareness campaigns, mentorship, economic opportunity and its Seeds of Faith initiative, NWECare works to address vulnerabilities that can place women and children at greater risk of exploitation.

Additional information is available at www.wemodelusa.com.

Patricia Annette Watts
WEModel USA
+1 202-631-7227
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