First published February 22, 2022.
In February 2022, Puerto Rican model Sofía Jirau became the first model with Down syndrome to work with Victoria's Secret. She was one of 18 women chosen for the brand's Love Cloud Collection, a line of soft, comfort-focused underwear, and she announced the news herself on Instagram, calling it a dream that she had worked hard to reach.
The moment drew worldwide attention because Victoria's Secret was long known for one narrow ideal of beauty. Jirau's casting was part of the brand's effort to change that image, and for many families of people with Down syndrome it was a powerful sign of who can be seen in mainstream fashion.
Who is Sofía Jirau?
Sofía Jirau was born on 26 March 1997 in Puerto Rico, the second of four children. She first walked a runway as a teenager, at a show by Puerto Rican designer Wanda Beauchamp, and began working as a professional model in 2019.
The same year she launched an online shop called Alavett, a name taken from her favourite phrase, "I love it". The store sells clothing, accessories and home products.
Her big international break came on 10 February 2020, when she made her debut at New York Fashion Week, joining the small number of models with Down syndrome to appear there. Some reports at the time placed that catwalk debut in London, but her published biography records New York.
The Love Cloud campaign and her announcement
Victoria's Secret unveiled the Love Cloud Collection in early 2022 with a cast of women of different ages, body types and backgrounds. Jirau was the newest face among them.
Sharing the campaign images, she wrote in Spanish and English that "one day I dreamed of it, I worked on it and today it is a dream come true." She also thanked the brand for seeing her "as a model who has #NoLimits", a nod to her own awareness campaign.
That campaign, known in Spanish as Sin Límites ("Without Limits"), uses videos and talks to share her story and to encourage other young people with Down syndrome to chase their goals. She has said she would like to become an actress one day, and she also works as an ambassador for a Puerto Rican entrepreneurship organisation, INprende.
Why the casting mattered
For decades, Victoria's Secret was defined by its televised fashion shows and its "Angels", a group of supermodels who presented a very narrow idea of glamour. Sales fell and criticism grew in the late 2010s, and in 2021 the company was widely reported to be moving away from that image, promising campaigns that reflected a wider range of women.
Jirau's place in a major lingerie campaign therefore carried weight beyond one photoshoot. People with intellectual disabilities are often seen as children long into adulthood, and are rarely presented as confident, stylish adults. Seeing a woman with Down syndrome treated as a professional model in an adult fashion campaign challenges that habit.
She is part of a growing group. Models and actors with Down syndrome have appeared in campaigns for beauty, fashion and sportswear brands, and on catwalks in New York, London and elsewhere. Advocates point out that the next step is steady work, fair pay and accessible sets, rather than one-off "firsts".
Down syndrome: the basics
Down syndrome is a genetic condition caused by extra genetic material from chromosome 21. In about 95 percent of cases, every cell has three copies of that chromosome instead of two, which is why it is also called trisomy 21. Less common forms are translocation, where the extra material is attached to another chromosome, and mosaic Down syndrome, where only some cells are affected.
It occurs in roughly 1 in 1,000 births worldwide and about 1 in 700 in the United States, where it is the most common chromosomal condition diagnosed at birth. The chance rises with the mother's age, especially from 35, but most babies with Down syndrome are born to younger mothers simply because more babies are born to that age group.
People with Down syndrome often share some physical features, such as almond-shaped eyes and lower muscle tone, and usually have some degree of intellectual disability. That varies a lot from person to person. Some health conditions are more common, including heart defects present at birth, hearing problems and sleep apnoea, which is why regular check-ups matter. Families with questions should talk to a doctor.
The condition is named after the English physician John Langdon Down, who described it in the 1860s. Its chromosomal cause was identified in 1959 by a French team; credit has traditionally gone to Jérôme Lejeune, although the role of his colleague Marthe Gautier has since been formally recognised.
Longer lives and changing expectations
Life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has risen dramatically. It was around 12 years in the early 20th century and about 25 in the 1980s. In developed countries today it is commonly 50 to 60 years or more, thanks largely to heart surgery in infancy, better medical care and the end of routine institutionalisation.
Inclusion in schools and workplaces has changed expectations too. Many adults with Down syndrome hold jobs, live semi-independently, take part in sport and the arts, and speak up for themselves, just as Jirau does.
Prenatal testing is a more sensitive subject. Screening tests estimate the chance that a pregnancy has Down syndrome, while diagnostic tests can confirm it. In countries where screening is routine, many pregnancies with a diagnosis are ended, and in a few places, such as Iceland and Denmark, very few children with Down syndrome are now born. Disability advocates and medical ethicists continue to discuss how to make sure parents receive balanced, up-to-date information about life with the condition.
Language that respects people
Both "Down syndrome" and "Down's syndrome" are in use: the first is standard in the United States and in international usage, and the second is still common in the UK. Older words for the condition are now considered offensive. Most advocacy groups also recommend person-first wording, such as "a model with Down syndrome", which puts the person ahead of the diagnosis.
World Down Syndrome Day falls on 21 March each year, a date chosen to reflect the three copies of chromosome 21. Recognised by the United Nations since 2011, it is a good moment to learn more and to celebrate people like Sofía Jirau, who are widening the picture of who belongs on the runway.
Sources: Wikipedia: Sofía Jirau; CDC: About Down syndrome; Wikipedia: Down syndrome; original report via 9GAG.
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