Art and Culture
First transgender model poses for Vogue
Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio is the first transgender model to pose for iconic French magazine Vogue.
The 22-year-old had previously been featured in Elle Brazil. Vogue editor-in-chief Emmanuelle Alt described Sampaio as a “femme fatale” and an embodiment of “a long and painful fight against being perceived as a gender exile”.
For the cover, Sampaio poses in purple and blue lights with the banner “Transgender Beauty: How they are shaking up the world”.
Alt also wrote that “Vogue supports and chooses to celebrate transgender people in a post-gender world.”
The editorial also pays homage to transgender icons such as Caitlyn Jenner who had been named “Woman of the Year” in 2015 by Glamour US and Laverne Cox who was the first transgender who graced the cover of Time magazine in 2014.
It has been observed that the fashion industry is further expanding its standards, making the then exclusive industry an option for all kinds of beauty and style. Diversity has been observed from companies taking in plus size models, transgenders and different women with race and color, thus redefining the standard of beauty that is in everyone.
“The day when a transexual poses for a magazine cover and it will be no longer necessary to write an editorial on the subject, we will know that the fight has been won,” Alt included.
The issue comes to stalls February 23rd.