Meet the first Victoria's Secret model with Down syndrome

Sofía Jirau has made history as the first Victoria's Secret model with Down syndrome, after joining 17 other girls in launching the brand new campaign. The 24-year-old model from Puerto Rico celebrated the historic moment on Valentine's Day after the debut of the Love Cloud Collection, a line of lingerie.

"One day I dreamed, I worked and today is a dream come true. I can finally tell you my great secret," Jirau wrote on her Instagram profile in Spanish. "I'm the first Victoria's Secret model with Down Syndrome!"

She is also the second Puerto Rican model featured in a Victoria's Secret campaign, after Joan Smalls.

Jirau's charisma and infectious personality have taken her very far since the start of her modeling career in 2019 in Puerto Rico.

A year later, she realized her dream of debuting at New York Fashion Week, which she says she is proud of as one of the few models with Down syndrome who has managed to attend the important event of fashion.

Jirau also launched her own Spanish-language campaign called "No Limits" to demonstrate the ability of people with Down syndrome to achieve goals regardless of their condition.

Down syndrome is a condition in which a person is born with an extra chromosome, resulting in changes in the way the body and brain develop, which can cause mental and physical challenges.

"Thank you Victoria's Secret for seeing me as a model who knows no boundaries and made me part of the comprehensive Love Cloud Collection campaign," Jirau said on Instagram.

She joins the brand as the company tries to distance itself from the once iconic images of Victoria's Secret angels, and renames itself to attract all sorts of women.