Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

Sofía Jirau, the First Victoria's Secret Model With Down Syndrome, Says She's Dreamed About a Career In Fashion Since She Was a Little Girl Sofía Jirau is now the first Victoria's Secret model with Down syndrome in the brand's history.

Alavett

Victoria's Secret made history by announcing that a model with Down syndrome will be a part of its new campaign featuring "dynamic women."

Sofía Jirau, the 24-year-old model from Puerto Rico, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share her new campaign with Victoria's Secret with her 201,000 followers. Speaking to Insider via a translator, Jirau recalled the moment she got the call that she'd been hired by Victoria's Secret.

"I'm very happy and appreciative of this opportunity I'm getting," Jirau, who has been modeling since 2019, said. "Since I was a little girl I've been aspiring to be a model and this is just catapulting me into the modeling career I want to develop."

In the caption for her announcement post, translated from Spanish, Jirau wrote: "I once dreamed about it and worked for it — today, it's a dream come true. Finally, I can tell you my big secret... I am the first Victoria's Secret model with Down syndrome!"

"Thanks to all of you for always supporting me in my endeavors," she wrote. "Thanks to @victoriassecret for seeing in me a #WithoutLimits model and making me part of the Love Cloud Collection inclusion campaign."

"This is just the beginning, now things are really coming together," Jirau added to the post, which has amassed over 65,000 likes at the time of writing.

According to a Victoria's Secret press release, Jirau is one of 18 "dynamic women" in the campaign that is "reinforcing Victoria's Secret's commitment to welcoming and celebrating all women."

Raúl Martinez, Head Creative Director of Victoria's Secret, said in the release it's "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," he added.

As someone with Down syndrome working in the industry, Jirau told Insider she had many challenges and barriers to break in her career. "Since I'm a hard worker, I'm very disciplined, I go to the gym and I'm also mentally strong, I felt like I could do anything," Jirau said.

Jirau is already an accomplished model, having walked in New York Fashion Week in 2020, but she's also an entrepreneur, running an online fashion store called Alavett, a colloquial phrase in Puerto Rico that means "I love it."

In June 2021, Victoria's Secret announced it was undergoing an image overhaul that included abandoning the Victoria's Secret Angels, a group of famous models synonymous with the face of Victoria's Secret since the 1990s. In its place came the VS Collective, a new group of brand ambassadors including US soccer star Megan Rapinoe and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who help promote a refreshed image that's meant to be more diverse and inclusive.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Business Solutions

Cut Costs, Not Features with This Microsoft Bundle Deal

You get Office, Windows, Project, and Visio for $72.

Side Hustle

I Made $14,000 in 1 Week With a Spontaneous Halloween Costume Side Hustle — Here's How

Sabba Keynejad was in art school when he started to refine his entrepreneurial skills.

Thought Leaders

These 3 Trends Will Change What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur in 2025

Here are three entrepreneurship trends from the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report that are changing the landscape for the future.

Leadership

4 Bold Leadership Moves Every Successful CEO Uses to Navigate Change

Ready to turn fear into fuel and lead with confidence? In this article, I share how leaving my corporate job without a plan led me to build a thriving business. Learn four bold strategies to embrace uncertainty and turn challenges into opportunities for growth today.