Puerto Rican model Sofia Jirau, 25, has become the first person with Down Syndrome to star in a Victoria’s Secret campaign.
“One day I dreamed of it, I worked for it and today it’s a dream come true,” Jirau announced on Instagram. “I can finally tell you my big secret. I am Victoria’s Secret’s first model with Down syndrome.”
Jirau stars in the campaign for the brand’s Love Cloud collection, and is part of a cast of 18 diverse women that includes Sudanese model Adut Akech, 1990s supermodel Shalom Harlow, Swedish plus-size model Sabina Karlsson, accessories designer Sylvia Buckler, multidisciplinary artist MaryAnn Elizabeth and actress Miriam Blanco, who suffers from a rare neurodegenerative disease.
"Love Cloud collection is a major moment in the brand's evolution. 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", says Raul Martinez, head creative director of Victoria's Secret.
The company has come under fire in recent years for its unrealistic portrayal of women, particularly linked to its Angels. Recognising that in an age of body positivity, it was increasingly viewed as out of touch, in June the company announced that it would be getting rid of the Angel title and instead launching the VS Collective, “an ever-growing group of accomplished women who share a common passion to drive positive change”. Many have treated the move with suspicion, viewing it as tokenistic, but Jirau may go some way in assuaging their doubts.
She has been modelling for the past three years and made her New York Fashion Week debut in February 2020, in the Marisa Santiago show. She is also a designer, having launched her brand, Allavet, in 2019, selling T-shirts, mugs and baseball hats.
Jirau has long been an advocate for other people with Down syndrome, having launched the Sin Limites, or No Limits, campaign to raise awareness of the condition and highlight how she and her friends are living their lives. She has described her appearance in the Victoria's Secret campaign as “a victory” and says she is “living her dream”.
“I am breaking barriers all over the world,” she wrote in a recent Instagram post shared with her 399,000 followers. “Thanks to all the media for helping me carry my message that inside and out there are no limits.”
