Who is Sofia Jirau? Puerto Rican model makes history as first Victoria's Secret model with Down Syndrome

Puerto Rican model Sofia Jirau recently made history by becoming the first Victoria's Secret model with Down Syndrome. She has been featured as part of the brand’s upcoming inclusive Love Cloud Collection campaign alongside Celilo Miles, Devyn Garcia, and Paloma Elsesser.

The model took to Instagram to share the news and thanked her followers for their support:

“One day I dreamed of it, I worked on it and today it is a dream come true. Can I finally 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 projects. Thanks to @victoriassecret for seeing me as a #NoLimits model and making me part of the Love Cloud Collection inclusion campaign.”

Jirau previously made the news after she became one of the few models with Down Syndrome to appear in the 2020 New York Fashion Week.

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Everything to know about Sofia Jirau

Sofia Jirau is an American model, entrepreneur and social media influencer (Image via Sofia Jirau/Instagram)

Sofia Jirau is an American model, entrepreneur and social media influencer. She recently took the fashion industry by storm after becoming the first model with Down Syndrome to be featured in a Victoria’s Secret campaign.

The 25-year-old launched her own apparel and accessories company Alavett in 2019. The name of her brand has reportedly been derived from her favorite English phrase “I love it.”

Jirau made her New York Fashion Week debut in 2020 alongside a few other models with Down Syndrome. At the time, she wrote on social media:

“I am proud as one of the few models with Down syndrome who has managed to participate in the important fashion event. Modeling in the United States was the beginning of conquering the dream I have had since an early age.”

The businesswoman told Remezcla that she wanted to become a model and entrepreneur ever since she was five years old. Jirau also shared her outlook about having “no limits” in life:

“I’m going all over the world. There is no fear. In and out, there are no limits. I’m not scared of anything.”

Speaking about her challenges, the model shared that she finds inspiration while looking at herself in the mirror:

“I look at myself in the mirror and I get strength.”

Armando Lorenzo, one of the volunteers in Jirau’s team, also echoed similar sentiments while speaking to the publication:

“Sofia doesn’t know challenges or limits. She sees everything as an opportunity to show she has [what it takes]. She doesn’t know how to answer that because we try to keep those words out of her vocabulary so she understands she’s able to achieve everything she sets her mind to… as she has up until now.”

According to her website, Jirau was born on March 26, 1996, and made her runway debut on her twenty-third birthday in 2019. She underwent months of diction, dance and modeling training and later received guidance from Benjamin Diaz.

In addition to her modeling career and entrepreneurial success, Sofia Jirau has also garnered a strong following on social media with nearly 170K followers on Instagram.