Victoria’s Secret has named Sophia Girau, the number one model with Down syndrome

Victoria’s Secret It said Friday that it is launching a new confidante collection, Love Cloud, which will be promoted by 24-year-old model Sophia Girau.

Jirau is the first model with Down syndrome to be offered by a close retailer. The Puerto Rican-born model, who started modeling three years ago, told the Wall Street Journal that she would like to inspire others.

“Even if they have Down syndrome, they can still model, they can still get jobs,” she told the newspaper.

Jirau has her own campaign, Sin Limites, that raises awareness about Down syndrome.

Created for all-day comfort, the Love Cloud collection will be promoted by 18 models of different backgrounds. The campaign focuses on celebrating all women, according to Victoria’s Secret.

“With this new line, we are launching high-quality bras and panties in shapes that fit every woman’s needs, as part of our ongoing effort to develop products that support women and support their individual journeys,” said Chief Design Officer Jenny Schaeffer, at statment.

Recently, Victoria’s Secret has expanded its brand to include more diverse models such as Valentina Sampaio from Brazil, the retailer’s first transgender model, who is also part of this campaign. There have also been more plus-size appointments in recent years, as the company aims to become more inclusive. Victoria’s Secret’s Pink on Thursday announced the appointment of a new ambassador for the plus-size brand, TikTok star Remi Bader.

The company is looking to be more inclusive because its sales have struggled in recent years as consumers have rejected its overly sexualized images. Although it has remained the dominant brand in the underwear category, competitors such as American Eagle Aerie, Cuup, and ThirdLove were gaining more market share. Last July, it revealed a plan for a comeback, which included an apology from its CEO, Martin Waters.

“We got it wrong,” Waters said. on time. “We have lost touch with the modern woman.”