Well-known American beauty, clothing, and lingerie corporation Victoria’s Secret recently welcomed their first ever model with Down syndrome. Commencing their retail giant back in 1977, basing it out of San Francisco, California, Victoria’s Secret has transparently propelled itself into becoming one of the most popularly used female underwear and beauty product outlets in the United States. The business now hosts annual fashion shows with the hopes of separating their products from their competitors, while simultaneously showing them in a more upscale light.
This past week, newly announced model, Sofia Jirau, made the public aware about her condition in a statement she uploaded to her social media account: “I want to tell the whole world that people with my condition, Down syndrome, inside and out, we have no limits,” she confidently claimed. “People who have Down syndrome like me are capable of getting a job, creating their own business, and working hard like me… I tell everyone to just dream. To dream because every dream can come true.”
Sofia made her modeling career a reality three years ago back in 2019, along with her New York Fashion Week debut which was made shortly after in 2020. The young 24-year-old talent is from Puerto Rico and is reportedly set to make an appearance in Victoria’s Secret Love Cloud Collection campaign that will be taking place later in the year. “Love Cloud Collection is a major moment in the brand’s evolution,” head creative director of Victoria’s Secret Raul Martinez stated. “From the cast of incredible women that bring the collection to life, to the incredible inclusive spirit on set, this campaign is an important part of the new Victoria’s Secret standard we are creating.” It is clear that the business is continuously moving with the future when looking at all of their new releases, on top of putting a halt to the exclusion of people with unhelpable mental illnesses.