WHILE IT HAS only been in the past decade that we’ve seen widespread momentum in terms of gender-diverse representation in the fashion industry, transgender models have been paving the way since the 20th century, all the while fighting against prejudice and discrimination.
Born in 1935, British model April Ashley is thought to have been the first successful trans model, until she was cruelly outed by tabloids in 1961. Tracey Norman, also known as Tracey Africa, was the first high-profile Black transgender model, appearing on Clairol hair dye boxes in 1975 and working with high-flyers in the industry before she, too, was outed in the early ’80s.
But while their livelihoods and wellbeing were threatened by ignorance and transphobia, their efforts — and the ongoing strides of the wider transgender community — have paved a path of success for models of the modern age, many of whom have become certified fashion icons. We might never have witnessed the beauty of Jules in Euphoria had Hunter Schafer not started out as a model; and her success mightn’t have skyrocketed so high if it weren’t for Isis King, who became one of the first visible trans women on TV when she competed in America’s Next Top Model in 2009.
Below, discover a handful of the most iconic transgender models of the modern age to follow and fawn over.
Related: Iconic photos of your favourite ’90s supermodels backstage
Transgender models to follow on Instagram in 2023
1
Munroe Bergdorf (she/they)
@munroebergdorf
Munroe Bergdorf is a model, activist, and podcast host hailing from Britain. She started out in fashion PR before pivoting to modelling, motivated by the industry’s lack of diversity. In 2017, they became the first transgender model to be the face of a L’Oréal campaign in the United Kingdom. “I hope it reaches another little eight-year-old trans girl and makes her feel a little more hopeful and a little less scared about her future, than what was [instilled] in me when I was her age,” she wrote on social media at the time.
2
Andreja Pejić (she/her)
@andrejapejic
A former cover star of international editions of Harper’s BAZAAR, Serbian-Australian Andreja Pejić is one of the world’s most recognisable transgender models in the past decade. Pejić has walked runways for the likes of Marc Jacobs and Jean-Paul Gaultier, and became the first transgender model to land a major beauty campaign in 2015 for Makeup For Ever, as well as the first trans model signed to Ford Models.
3
Indya Moore (they/them)
@indyamoore
Though you may recognise them from their star-turning role as Angel in Pose, Indya Moore started out as a model, starring in shoots for the likes of Gucci and Dior from the age of 15. One of BAZAAR‘s 2022 icons, they said “I don’t know if I really care to have a legacy, to be honest. I want the moment where we actually care about earth and all forms of life on it, which requires us to grow in our ability to be harmonious to each other, to be my legacy”.
4
Chella Man (he/him)
@chellaman
An actor and model, Chella Man signed to IMG as their first deaf, Jewish-Asian model in 2018. Having worked for the likes of Calvin Klein, Gap and American Eagle, he’s a model on the rise — and following a campaign with Yves Saint Laurent in 2021, he became one of the first out trans men to work with a major beauty brand.
5
Jari Jones (she/her/they/them)
@iamjarijones
Not only a successful model who has worked with the likes of Calvin Klein and Dove, Jari Jones is also an actress, activist and creative. She is the first Black trans producer to have a film in the Cannes Film festival, and appeared in Netflix’s Tales of the City, too.
6
Hari Nef (she/her)
@harinef
American model, actress and writer Hari Nef’s breakthrough moment came via her role in TV series Transparent, which earned her a SAG Award nomination in 2016. She made her runway debut at New York Fashion Week in Spring 2015, and went on to become the first openly trans woman signed to IMG Models — since then, she’s worked with Gucci, JW Anderson, Eckhaus Latta and more. Recently, she earned acclaim for her role in Sex And The City reboot And Just Like That — and her next big role is in HBO’s The Idol alongside The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp.
7
Valentina Sampaio (she/her)
@valentts
The cover star of BAZAAR España’s 2022 April issue, Valentina Sampaio is a longstanding trailblazer of her community. The first transgender model to work for Victoria’s Secret and to appear in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Brazilian model Sampaio is also an ambassador for Armani Beauty. “It’s not just an achievement for me, it’s a step forward for my community, for inclusion.Joining Armani Beauty represents a whole movement against discrimination,” she told BAZAAR.
8
Nathan Westling (he/him)
@nathanwestling
American model Nathan Westling has walked in — and opened for — major runways for Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Céline, Fendi, Prada, Dior Chanel, Tom Ford and more. He came out as trans publicly in 2019, telling CNN “It’s been an incredible journey, it’s been an incredible process and I’m just really happy to be on this path”.
9
Hunter Schafer (she/her)
@hunterschafer
As of late, you’d know Hunter Schafer more for her work as an actress, having played Jules in Euphoria and being cast in the upcoming Hunger Games prequel. But her recent appearance on the Prada FW22 runway proved that she’s not ready to stray from her modelling roots just yet. She was signed as a model at 18, and has modelled for Dior, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Rick Owens, Helmut Lang and many more since.
10
Aaron Rose Philip (she/her)
@aaron___philip
Aaron Philip is the first Black, transgender and physically disabled model to be signed to a major modelling agency. In 2021, her sunshine-yellow appearance on the Moschino SS22 runway made her the first wheelchair-using model to take to a luxury fashion runway. Also an author and staunch activist, she was discovered on social media, where she spoke about the lack of representation of trans women of colour, and those with disabilities.
11
Isis King (she/her)
@msisisking
American model, actress and fashion designer Isis King became one of the most visible transgender people to appear on TV when she competed on America’s Next Top Model in 2009 — but prior to that, she had already been runway modelling for seven years, and competing in the underground ball culture scene.
12
Leyna Bloom (she/her)
@leynabloom
When appearing on a Candy magazine cover in 2014 featuring 13 other prominent transgender women, Leyna Bloom decided to publicly come out as transgender herself — all while making her modelling debut. She went on to walk for New York Fashion Week in 2017, and became the first trans woman of colour to appear in Sports Illustrated‘s Swimsuit Issue in 2021.
13
Theodora “Teddy” Quinlivan (she/her)
@teddy_quinlivan
In 2016, Harper’s BAZAAR named Teddy Quinlivan one to watch after she made her modelling debut in Louis Vuitton’s SS16 show. She has since walked for designers including Carolina Herrera, Jeremy Scott, Jason Wu, and Saint Laurent; and became the first openly transgender model to be hired by Chanel in 2019.
14
Alex Consani
@alexconsani
In the fall 2022 season, Alex Consani’s modelling star exploded. Already a name on social media, her hilarious, candid TikTok videos catapulted her to internet stardom and soon after — at the tender age of 18 — she was ruling the catwalk, too. Following that fateful debut for Tom Ford, Consani has swept each fashion month, besting her personal record of shows walked in a season. Most recently, just ahead of New York Fashion Week, Consani made her Victoria’s Secret debut in the brand’s comeback ‘Tour’ — before going on to storm the runway at Helmut Lang, Luar and more.
