As we progress as a society, we continue to push the boundaries of what is considered mainstream. Things that have been viewed as unacceptable or out of the norm are now more celebrated. But what and who pushes those boundaries are the real heroes that deserve celebration. What moves society and culture into new innovative places are the people brave enough to question the status quo. These people are trailblazers in their own right, and dare to dream of a world that is different than anything they can imagine, but take the strides to make these dreams a reality. This reality is created by their strength and resilience, and the brave actions that take in the face of discrimination and ridicule. One of these marginalized groups that have been making waves is transgendered models. It is a well-known fact that transgendered people are frequently outcasted and sometimes even brutalized. These transgender models represent a brave new world where we are all safe, accepted and even celebrated for our differences. Not only that, but transgender models have changed the way we look at fashion and gender based style. To learn more about these brave innovators, check out these 8 transgender models who have reshaped fashion.
Lea T
Lea T is an advocate for transgender rights and human rights, and has become a pop culture icon. She established herself as one of the very first transgender models to ascend to major success in the fashion world.
Valentina Sampaio
Valentina Sampaio made history in 2019 has the first openly transgender Victoria’s Secret super model in history. She then went on to become the very first openly transgender model for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue back in 2020. She began calling herself Valentina at the age of 12, but was first identified as transgender at the age of 8, by her psychologist.
Hari Nef
Hari Nef is making strides for transgender models in fashion in the world of British fashion. She became one of the first openly transgender models to grace the cover of a British magazine. She is also a writer who makes content about gender and identity, as well as fine art.
Juliana Huxtable
Juliana has been a part of many campaigns since her initial interest in fashion which grew to a love for modeling. She was featured on a cover with other transgender women in the magazine C☆NDY.
Theodora Quinlivan
Quinlivan has made strides as one of the first transgender models in a big fashion brand. She was one of the first openly transgender women to work with Chanel fashion house. Additionally, she ranked in the models.com list of Top 50 models.
Andreja Pejic
When she initially moved onto the scene, she Andreja Pejic was known as an androgynous model. She actually began to identify as a transgender model back in 2013, and has become a very well-known and established model in the fashion world.
Geena Rocero
Geena is the founder of Gender Proud, a media company that tells stories of transgender community and equality. She began competing in beauty pageants at the age of 15, and on a Ted Talk in 2015, let the world know that she was transgender. She has also become well known in the trans fashion community for her courageous work.
Hunter Schafer
Hunter is a well-known personality in the fashion world and has used social media to help her become more comfortable with her identity as transgender. She said, “The internet saved me — being able to go on to YouTube and watch people’s transition timelines, and see myself on a screen.”
