Trans rights are under attack in the US, particularly under the current administration. The Trump Administration has restricted access to trans citizens’ rights to accurate federal identity documents, threatened to withhold federal funding from hospitals that provide gender-affirming care, and tried to bar trans soldiers from serving in the military.
It is a tough fight for trans people right now, but despite the adversity they are facing, trans models are still breaking ground in the fashion industry. In the ‘60s, April Ashley became what is thought of as the first successful transgender model. While Ashley wasn’t out as trans when she began her modeling career, she was later outed by the Sunday People. The outing damaged her career, but she helped pave the way for many of the glorious trans models we know today. In honor of Pride Month, Fashion Reverie looks at some of the most major trans models of the moment and those on the rise.
Image courtesy of hello!magazine.com
Alex Consani
Alex Consani was a girl born to defy the odds. At age four, she began wearing girls’ clothing, and by age eight, she decided on the name Alex. She began modeling in 2015 after her mother found an advertisement for Slay Model Management, a Los Angeles-based modeling agency focused entirely on transgender models.
At age 12, she became the youngest transgender model in the world. In 2019, she signed with IMG Models, and by 2021, she made her runway debut in New York City walking for Tom Ford. To date, she’s walked the runways for Boss, Burberry, Chloé, Roberto Cavalli, and Coperni. In October 2024, she made history along with Valentina Sampaio, as they became the first two transgender models to walk in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Image courtesy of marieclaire.com
Valentina Sampaio
Valentina Sampaio not only became one of the first transgender models to walk the Victoria’s Secret fashion show, but in 2019, she became the brand’s first transgender print model. The Brazilian star also broke another glass ceiling in 2020 when she became the first transgender model featured in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue.
Sampaio is a vocal advocate for transgender rights and LGBTQ+ issues in her home country of Brazil. Originally from a fishing village in Brazil, she defied the odds to become an in-demand model. She is represented by top agencies, such as The Lions in New York and Women Management in Paris.
Image courtesy of toofab.com
Zaya Wade
The daughter of retired NBA legend Dwyane Wade and the stepdaughter of Hollywood actress Gabrielle Union has been slowly making a name for herself in the fashion industry. She recently posed for MAC’s Born Famous campaign and was on the March 2025 digital cover for Seventeen magazine. She also turned heads when she walked for Miu Miu’s fall 2023 show. In addition to her slow-burning rise to model stardom, Zaya Wade is also a philanthropist.
Zaya is the founder of the trans advocacy non-profit Translatable Project. The organization is a safe space for LGBTQIA+ youth and acts as a resource hub for their parents, families, and support systems.
Image courtesy of washingtonblade.com
Teddy Quinlivan
Teddy Quinlivan is a name that has become synonymous with high fashion. The top model was discovered in 2015 by Louis Vuitton’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, and in 2017 she came out as transgender. Her announcement was followed by support from Ghesquière himself and other fashion industry notables, such as fashion designer Marc Jacobs and make-up artist Pat McGrath.
Quinlivan’s career has seen her walk the runways for Carolina Herrera, Jeremy Scott, Christian Cowan, Jason Wu, Dior, and Saint Laurent. She made history in 2019 by becoming the first openly transgender model hired by Chanel.
Image courtesy of 52insights.com
Juliana Huxtable
Juliana Huxtable is a New York-based Texas transplant known to many as a fixture on New York City’s nightlife circuit. Huxtable is a multihyphenated artist, and her artwork has been on display at the New Museum’s 2015 Triennial, and she can also be caught DJing around New York City. As a model, she’s walked for DKNY and Eckhaus Latta.
Images courtesy of dailymail.co.uk
Inès Rau
There are few things Inès Rau loves more than a magazine cover. The Parisian model broke the internet when she went viral from an NSFW editorial paired with supermodel Tyson Beckford for French publication OOB back in 2013. This was just the beginning for Rau, who has gone on to have photo editorials in magazines, including Oyster, Vogue Italia, Numero, and Playboy. She’s certainly having more than a moment.
Image courtesy of models.com
Lea T
Lea T first came to prominence in 2010 when she became the muse to fashion designer Riccardo Tisci, the former creative director of Givenchy. T has been featured in Vogue Paris and Love magazines. Outside of Givenchy, she’s also modeled for Benetton, and she became a history maker when she scored a campaign for Redken. Upon the Redken campaign release, T became the first openly transgender model to represent a global cosmetics brand.
Image courtesy of nbcnews.com
Ariel Nicholson
Ariel Nicholson proudly wears both the hats of model and LGBT rights activist. Like many transgender models, Nicholson also boasts her “first to do it” claim to fame when she became the first openly transgender model to walk in the Calvin Klein show. Fashion designer Raf Simons personally selected her for the brand’s spring 2018 runway show during his time as creative director. In addition to her work for Calvin Klein, she’s also modeled for Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, Vogue, and W. Outside of modeling, Nicholson volunteers with the Gender & Family Project. The organization supports transgender youth and their families.
—Kristopher Fraser
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