Puerto Rican model, Sofia Jirau, has made history as Victoria’s Secret’s first model with Down Syndrome, as the lingerie brand continues its ongoing initiative to become more inclusive.
Sharing the news to her 200k+ instagram followers, Jirau thanked them for all their support in her modeling journey, saying it was ‘a dream come true’ to be working with Victoria’s Secret.
‘One day I dreamed of it, I worked for it and today it is a dream come true.’
The 25 year old kicked off her modelling career in 2019, at the age of 23, and in the same year, launched her own online fashion store, Alavett. She then made her debut at New York Fashion Week just before the pandemic.
Jirau joins 17 other women for the launch of the brand’s new Love Cloud collection, the latest collection of bras and underwear, and a first of its kind campaign featuring women from a myriad of backgrounds.
In a press release issued on Valentine’s Day, Victoria’s Secret stated that the new Love Cloud collection launch is a milestone in the brand’s new vision, focussed on continuing to support women. Modeled by the 18 dynamic women, the collection is “reinforcing Victoria’s Secret’s commitment to welcoming and celebrating all women.”
In recent years, Victoria’s Secret has come under scrutiny for their lack of diversity and inclusion, and setting impossible beauty standards for women. With all the backlash, the brand has since joined the ‘inclusive revolution’, rebranding themselves and introducing new initiatives to welcome women to all different backgrounds, shapes and sizes.
Jirau’s debut with Victoria’s Secret will make waves for people living with a disability, and to help motivate others to “break through their self-imposed limitations”, as her website reads.
“For me, the most important thing about fulfilling my dreams is to show people around the world that there are no limits and to inspire them to pursue their own dreams.”