Say hello to Valentina Guerrero, a 10-month old from Miami, Florida, who has recently become the main model for the Dolores Cortés Kids USA swimwear catalog. This beautiful, happy little girl not only appears in the catalog, but was carried down the runway during the company’s show! While this is undoubtedly a big event for little Valentina, it also indicates a huge step for body diversity and acceptance in the media.

As the first child with Down Syndrome to become the primary model for a fashion company, Valentina is kind of a big deal. Children with disabilities are rarely featured in such a light, and perhaps after this companies will become more open about hiring special-needs children. After all, as designer Dolores Cortés told AdWeek, “People with Down syndrome are just as beautiful and deserve the same opportunities.”

Despite Valentina’s adorably happy face and undeniable success, her situation is causing a bit of controversy. Some say that companies that use disabled children as models are exploiting them for publicity purposes. While some companies seek to get attention by hiring celebrities to promote their products, in my opinion this is not the case with Valentina. This is a child who deserves to be a model. She’s beautiful, happy, and oh-so-adorable in those baby swimsuits. Personally, I hope she continues to be successful! You go, Valentina!

What do you Lovelies think of Valentina? What is your opinion regarding diversity in advertising?

Image Source, Image source