Victoria’s Secret has sponsored the first young lady suffering from Down Syndrome to model their latest line. The new “Angel”, Sofía Jirau, is a Puerto Rican model who started modelling at the age of 23 in 2019. Ever since, she has managed to work with a lot of leading names in the fashion industry.
One day I dreamed of this, I worked to have it and today it all comes true.
Sofía Jirau
1. A dream come true
Followed by more than 400,000 people on Instagram, despite her appearance at the New York Fashion Week, on 16 February, she has remained anonymous until recently. What made her notorious was her inclusion in the restricted batch of models from the famous American lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret.
“One day I dreamed of this, I worked to have it and today it all comes true,” wrote the Puerto Rican on Instagram, where she shared the news first-hand. She made her New York Fashion Week debut in 2020 and is one of the only few models with Down Syndrome who has managed to participate in the prestigious event.
Sofía has been featured in the brand’s latest campaign showcasing its Love Cloud collection, alongside Hailey Bieber, Adut Akech, Valentina Sampaio and Paloma Elsesser.
“Thanks to all of you for always supporting me in my projects. 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… Inside and out there are no limits,” Jirau shared on Instagram.
2. Adapting a business model
Target of criticism for extreme objectification, Victoria’s Secret suffered a fall in sales and, since 2019, it has cancelled its annual fashion show with supermodels dubbed “Angels”. The fashion company‘s big international break finally arrived in 2022, which coincided with sort of an internal revolution. With growing criticism of objectification, lack of diversity and inclusion, the American beauty retailer realized that it was necessary to adapt.
