Why this Victoria's Secret model is making history

Sofia Jirau is the brand's first model with Down Syndrome. Photo / @sofiajirau

Victoria's Secret has made history after years of being dragged for excluding "most women".

For the first time, the high-profile company has employed a model with Down syndrome.

Sofia Jirau, 25, has created history by posing for Victoria's Secret. The Puerto Rican model has told her almost 200,000 followers nothing makes her happier than seeing the support of her countrymen.

"Puerto Rico, this victory belongs to everyone," she wrote.

"Nothing makes me happier than seeing my Island celebrating this achievement. I am from you, Puerto Rico.

"I love you with my giant heart."

She will appear in the company's new Love Cloud campaign which is a collection of everyday underwear.

Her career blew up after she made her catwalk debut at the New York Fashion Week in February 2020. Since then she has gradually been attracting attention for her skills and activism.

On her website she said wants to help people break through their perceived limitations.

"For me, the most important thing about fulfilling my dreams is to show people around the world that there are no limits and to inspire them to pursue their own dreams," she said.

"This is why I always say 'Inside and out there are no limits' to motivate people to break through their self-imposed limitations."

Victoria's Secret has moved to be more inclusive after being widely panned.

The company has launched a string of initiatives after declining sales and past accusations of a culture of misogyny at the business.

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A post shared by Sofía Jirau (@sofiajirau)

These include its first mastectomy bra, racially diverse models promoting underwear in different skin tones, and hiring transgender beauty Valentina Sampaio.

UK TV star Jameela Jamil has previously branded the organisation as a "transphobic, fatphobic company that sets out to exclude most women".

An Australian model also revealed the heartbreaking detail about her most famous runway appearance.

Bridget Malcolm is an Australian model originally from West Fremantle who walked the runway as an "angel" for the lingerie brand in 2015 and 2016.

But in 2018 she revealed she had been "battling an eating disorder and chronic anxiety" that had been fuelled by the pressure she felt to maintain a small size.

In a TikTok video posted over the weekend that's been viewed more than 1.6 million times Bridget, now 29, shared the bra she had worn during her last Victoria's Secret appearance.

"Look how big it was on me, the sadness behind my eyes from the 2016 show breaks my heart," she said.

Bridget claims she was later "rejected" from the 2017 Victoria's Secret Show and told, "my body did not look good enough". She was an 8B bra size at the time.