Puerto Rican model Sofia Jirau, 25, has become the first person with Down Syndrome to star in a Victoria’s Secret campaign.
“One day I dreamed of it, I worked for it and today it’s a dream come true,” Jirau announced on Instagram. “I can finally tell you my big secret. I am Victoria’s Secret’s first model with Down syndrome.”
Jirau stars in the campaign for the brand’s Love Cloud collection, and is part of a cast of 18 diverse women that includes Sudanese model Adut Akech, 1990s supermodel Shalom Harlow, Swedish plus-size model Sabina Karlsson, accessories designer Sylvia Buckler, multidisciplinary artist MaryAnn Elizabeth and actress Miriam Blanco, who suffers from a rare neurodegenerative disease.
"Love Cloud collection is a major moment in the brand's evolution. From the cast of incredible women that bring the collection to life, to the incredible inclusive spirit on set, this campaign is an important part of the new Victoria's Secret standard we are creating", says Raul Martinez, head creative director of Victoria's Secret.
The company has come under fire in recent years for its unrealistic portrayal of women, particularly linked to its Angels. Recognising that in an age of body positivity, it was increasingly viewed as out of touch, in June the company announced that it would be getting rid of the Angel title and instead launching the VS Collective, “an ever-growing group of accomplished women who share a common passion to drive positive change”. Many have treated the move with suspicion, viewing it as tokenistic, but Jirau may go some way in assuaging their doubts.
She has been modelling for the past three years and made her New York Fashion Week debut in February 2020, in the Marisa Santiago show. She is also a designer, having launched her brand, Allavet, in 2019, selling T-shirts, mugs and baseball hats.
Jirau has long been an advocate for other people with Down syndrome, having launched the Sin Limites, or No Limits, campaign to raise awareness of the condition and highlight how she and her friends are living their lives. She has described her appearance in the Victoria's Secret campaign as “a victory” and says she is “living her dream”.
“I am breaking barriers all over the world,” she wrote in a recent Instagram post shared with her 399,000 followers. “Thanks to all the media for helping me carry my message that inside and out there are no limits.”
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
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Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
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Gulf rugby
Who’s won what so far in 2018/19
Western Clubs Champions League: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Dubai Hurricanes
West Asia Premiership: Bahrain
What’s left
UAE Conference
March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Hurricanes II v Al Ain Amblers, Jebel Ali Dragons II v Dubai Tigers
March 29, final
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March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Exiles v Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
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Major honours
ARSENAL
BARCELONA
- La Liga - 2013
- Copa del Rey - 2012
- Fifa Club World Cup - 2011
CHELSEA
- Premier League - 2015, 2017
- FA Cup - 2018
- League Cup - 2015
SPAIN
- World Cup - 2010
- European Championship - 2008, 2012
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
