5 Transgender Models Breaking Barriers in the Fashion Industry
This Pride Month, it is more important than ever that we celebrate transgender women. We’ve seen huge strides in the transgender community this year in everything from electing some of the first openly transgender officials to California allowing gender-neutral birth certificates. Among these amazing feats are several transgender models that can finally talk about their gender identities freely and openly. After Talulah-Eve penned an open letter asking why she was the only transgender model to walk at London Fashion Week, we saw a record 28 transgender model appearances in the Fall 2018 season of Fashion Week, according to The Fashion Spot's Diversity report. Here are 5 dazzling transgender women shaking up the fashion industry that you should know.
Chris Williamson/Getty Images1/6Munroe Bergdorf
Munroe Bergdorf is a British activist and model. She is currently employed by Illamasqua as the face of its Beauty Spotlight campaign. A speaker, activist, and influencer, Bergdorf is among the most prominent transgender models in the world today. She’s changing the way that we think about the exclusion of transgender people in fashion.
Presley Ann/Getty Images2/6Carmen Carrera
Carmen Carrera is a model, performer, and actress. She appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race in 2011 and has been active in AIDS activism and Worlds AIDS Day efforts. In 2014, she famously spoke out against RuPaul's use of anti-transgender slurs. She is among the most recognized transgender people in the world.
Paul Bruinooge/Getty Images3/6Leyna Bloom
Leyna Bloom is a U.S.-based model, dancer, and activist. She began dancing in the sixth grade and appeared with the American Theater Company when she was 14. She obtained a full scholarship from the Chicago Academy of Arts but was forced to drop out because she was not allowed to dance as a woman. In 2017, Bloom was the first openly transgender woman to appear in Vogue India.
Oliver Hadlee Pearch for H&M via Getty Images4/6Juliana Huxtable
Juliana Huxtable (pictured right) is a model and DJ. She is also the founder of the NYC queer party Shock Value. A brilliant artist, her work has been exhibited at the New Museum, Museum of American Art, and the MoMA. Huxtable embodies the dazzling intersections of art, culture, and theory that we see from so many transgender people today.
Presley Ann/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images5/6Maya Monès
Model Maya Monès speaks openly and proudly about being transgender on her social media accounts. This year, she walked on the coveted Chromat runway at New York Fashion Week. While breaking boundaries in the fashion industry with her wildly successful career, she also uses her visibility to talk about less-spoken issues faced by transgender women of color.
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