This article originally appeared on Poeple.
When Angolan model Maria Borges walked the Victoria’s secret runway with her short, natural afro back in 2015, she made waves by not wearing waves (she was the first model to wear her natural texture in the show, a trend which took off last year).
She also not brought the conversation about diverse beauty standards to the next level, but she brought her career to the next level too, landing gigs for brands including Givenchy, Balmain, Chanel, Target and of course, Victoria’s Secret — and now, she’s L’Oréal’s newest face.
“This means the world to me,” Borges said in a press release from the brand. “I believe in the beauty of diversity and the empowering message that a girl who started from the bottom can become an international beauty symbol. And be living proof that our dreams are valid and the future ahead of us is bright. Thank you L’Oréal Paris, we’re all worth it.”
Just over a month before announcing Borges’ role, the brand expanded their network by featuring their first transgender model, Hari Nef, in their True Match campaign alongside Blake Lively, as well as a man and women with a wide range of skin tones.
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L’Oréal Paris’s global president, Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou, said in a statement, “When her mile-wide smile lights up a runway, Maria inspires others to shine. Helping break barriers, she uses her voice to motivate other women to believe in their beauty: an empowering message that’s core to our beliefs at L’Oréal Paris. We are honored to welcome Maria as our new Lorealista, to inspire more women around the world.”