America, it seems the days of the wafer-thin, flawless-faced models are long behind us. Okay, maybe we’re exaggerating just a tad bit here, but we are seeing a shift in what being beautiful means in fashion — with Andrej Pejić, Zombie Boy, and senior citizens fronting campaigns and runways. Now, joining these break-the-mold beauties: Miami favorite Dolores Cortés.
At Swim Week this past weekend, the designer debuted her '13 collection, and then announced that it will be featuring a unique, real, young girl on the cover of her U.S. catalogue: Valentina Guerrero, a 10-month-old girl with Down syndrome.
While other large retailers have featured kids with Down syndrome in their ads (shout-out to you, Target!), this is the first time that a high-end designer has chosen to feature a model of this sort as the face of a line. According to Cortés, "People with Down syndrome are just as beautiful and deserve the same opportunities. I'm thrilled to have Valentina modeling for us." And while many a time dramatic acts of good are more products of publicity than they are of principle, we’re giving mad props to this swimwear maven for her bold move to reshape our image of beauty. (Adweek)