The first openly transgender Victoria’s Secret model hit back at critics after making her historic runway debut at the revamped prestigious fashion show on Tuesday.
Valentina Sampaio steps out with fellow transgender model Alex Consani at the Lingerie Fest at the Duggal Greenhouse at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City.
This is the first time transgender women were featured on the iconic show and not all fans supported the decision.
The Brazilian model said walking the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show after a six-year absence was “a dream come true” and that she wouldn’t let the moment diminish due to the intense reaction.
‘It was a dream come true that many people told me would be impossible for me to ever achieve and I did,’ Sampaio told tmz‘It makes me feel seen, accepted and valued as a person, a professional.
“This is a step towards collectively celebrating my community’s rights to live and work with dignity.”
“We are here. We have always been here. And we will always be here.”
In 2019, Victoria’s Secret appointed Sampaio as its first “Angel”, with the company removing her in 2021 in an effort to redefine its image. This was the same year that Victoria’s Secret canceled its annual fashion show due to a series of outrage and controversies.
Hours before the show in 2018, former chief marketing officer Ed Razek told Vogue Transgender and plus size models will not be included as the event is considered a “fantasy”.
he finally apologized For his “insensitive” remarks about transgender models and retired after about a year.
In 2021, the brand emerged from the pandemic with a “reset” Started introducing curvy models And thin cabinets.
Tuesday’s catwalk included Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, Kai Soleil, Devin Garcia and Jill Kortlew in sizes 8 to 16.
Veteran supermodels Tyra Banks, Gigi Hadid and Alessandra Ambrosio also Walked in the show on Tuesday. TMZ reports that Gisele Bündchen was invited to walk the walk but declined the offer.
Sampaio’s fashion show with Victoria’s Secret was making history for the second time. In 2019, she was the first transgender model to appear in an advertising campaign. Sampaio is also the first trans person to model for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
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Sampaio was Born in Aquiraz village In northeastern Brazil. according to a Interview with Business InsiderThe model said that a psychologist identified her as transgender at the age of eight, but she did not begin identifying with the name Valentina and identifying as a woman until she was 12.
big break of model When she appeared on the cover of Vogue Paris with the headline “Transgender Beauty”.
Her agency, Lions Management, said Vogue marked the first time a transgender model had been featured on a worldwide cover and since then, she has worked with major brands such as Marc Jacobs Beauty, Dior Beauty and H&M.
