Victoria’s Secret & Co.
VSCO,
is featuring a model with Down syndrome for the first time, as the lingerie retailer continues its shift toward more inclusive marketing.
The company said Sofía Jirau, a 24-year-old Puerto Rican woman with Down syndrome, would be included in Victoria’s Secret’s new campaign announced this week, called the Love Cloud Collection. The new line will be modeled by 18 women from diverse backgrounds and aims to celebrate all women, the company said.
“One day I dreamed of it, I worked on it and today it is a dream come true. I can finally tell you my big secret,” Ms. Jirau said in Spanish on her Instagram account. “I am the first Victoria’s Secret model with Down syndrome!”
In an interview, Ms. Jirau said she has worked as a model since she was a child and has dreamed of making it her career. She appeared at New York Fashion Week in 2020 and has done runway modeling and modeling for advertisements. She said she would travel to France, Spain and Italy this year to collaborate with fashion designers but plans to continue living in Puerto Rico.
An expanded version of this story appears on WSJ.com.
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