Victoria’s Secret has brought on its first model ever with Down syndrome after Puerto Rican model Sofia Jirau announced her dream had come true that she’s working for the company.
“One day I dreamed of it, I worked on it and today it is a dream come true,” the 25-year-old beauty shared Monday on Instagram, according to the Daily Mail in a piece published Wednesday.
“I can finally tell you my big secret… I am the first Victoria’s Secret model with Down syndrome,” she added, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Here’s How Many People Watched The 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show)
“Thanks to all of you for always supporting me in my projects,” Jirau continued. “Thanks to @victoriassecret for seeing me as a #NoLimits model and making me part of the Love Cloud Collection inclusion campaign. This is just the beginning, now it’s formed.”
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The model also shared news with her followers that she was part of the company’s new lingerie collection in clips and photos she posted on her social media account here.
The collection comes after a series of moves by Victoria’s Secret to hit back against claims it lacks diversity, with the brand launching its first mastectomy bra and hiring transgender model Valentina Sampaio, according to the Daily Mail.
Victoria’s Secret also shared in 2021 that it will be phasing out its “Angels” marketing, which was made famous by supermodels like Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks, Josephine Skriver and Jasmine Tookes, among so many others, the New York Post noted.
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The brand’s new lingerie model made her debut on the catwalk during New York Fashion Week in 2020 before the pandemic and her career has continued to grow. (SLIDESHOW: The Sexiest Looks From The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show)
Jirau also the designer behind her own brand Alavett, an online store started in 2019.