The modeling industry has finally opened its doors to different bodies, and transgender models are changing the way things work. Today, models are looking different than they did ten years ago, thanks to body and gender inclusion. The runways represent more and more genders regardless of their identities across the spectrum and models are opening up and celebrating their true selves.
When it comes to transgender models, it is refreshing to know we have come a long way since the ’60s. Back then, the only time they made the headlines was when they were outed and ridiculed rather than celebrated. Trailblazers in the industry like April Ashley, Tracey “Africa” Norman, and Caroline Cossey, who started their modeling careers in the ’60s and ’70s, lost everything the moment they were outed. April Ashley, for example, was a popular underwear model in Vogue, but when a British newspaper revealed she was a transgender woman, she never modeled in the country again.
Then, we have Connie Flemming, who was not only a transgender model but also Jamaican-born and a favorite among Thierry Mugler and Vivienne Westwood. One of the most recognizable transgender models is the Bosnian-Australian model, Andreja Pejić, who started her career in the early 2000s as the world’s first androgynous supermodel. She walked in both men and women shows for Jean-Paul Gautier and Marc Jacobs. After undergoing sex reassignment surgery in 2013, Pejić publicly came out as transgender and has since appeared on the covers of major fashion magazines. Valentina Sampaio is another example and the first transgender model to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue. Since then, the Brazilian model has walked for Victoria’s Secret and been featured on the covers of magazines like Vogue Paris and L’Officel.
In 2015, Nathan Westling his modeling career and quickly becoming one of the top female models in the industry, working with Marc Jacobs, Versace, Prada, and Chanel. Fast forward to 2019, Westling transitioned and his name is still all over the runways. Recently, Teddy Quinlivan has made history as the first openly transgender model to be hired by Chanel in 2019. The Boston beauty was first discovered by Louis Vuitton Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquiere and has since walked for elite designers such as Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Saint Laurent.
Then we have Hunter Schafer, who has quickly risen to stardom both on the runway and onscreen. The North Carolina native catapulted to fame with her performance in Euphoria and has also made appearances on the runways for Marc Jacobs, Dior, Miu Miu, and Coach.
Unlike 60 years ago, today, models do not have to hide their identities and can freely express who they are with little to no repercussion. Although there is still a long way to go, every day that goes by, we are one step closer to total inclusion of all genders and celebrating a human being for expressing their true identity without any judgments.
