*Maria Borges was the first model to rock an Afro at the 2015 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, and now she’s the new face of L’Oréal Paris.
Borges is a major advocate for diversity in the fashion and beauty industry. Her new L’Oréal Paris campaign was announced in a statement on Women’s Wear Daily in February.
“I believe in the beauty of diversity and the empowering message that a girl who started from the bottom can be an international beauty symbol and be living proof that our dreams are valid,” Borges said in a statement on WWD. “The future ahead of us is bright.”
READ RELATED STORY: Wells Fargo Commits $60 Billion to Create 250,000 New Black Homeowners
As a part of her campaign with L’Oréal, Borges — who was named Forbes’ top African Model in 2013 — will join handpicked Nigerian model Olamide Ogundele as she makes her debut at Paris Fashion Week.
The 24-year-old Angolan beauty has graced a multitude of high fashion runways including Givenchy, Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta and Versace. As L’Oréal’s new face, Borges will be joining the ranks of Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez and Hari Nef.
Two years ago when she walked the VS fashion show sans extensions, sporting her natural hair, Borges told PEOPLE that the message she wants to give women is that the sexiest thing you can do is to be con in your own skin.
“It was important [to have this moment] but it mostly felt natural. To me, it was the right thing to do,” she said. “Being yourself is always the right thing to do. By being yourself, I mean choosing the hairstyle that you want, not what people ask you to do in order to be beautiful or sexy in their eyes.”
