Models Alex Consani and Valentina Sampaio made history Tuesday night by becoming the first openly transgender women to strut down the runway at one of Victoria’s Secret’s iconic fashion shows. left his name on.
The duo joined VS favorites Tyra Banks, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Adriana Lima and more to wear their wings at the New York City show.
Cosani, who is represented by IMG Models, has become one of the most sought-after names on the fashion scene in recent seasons. She passionately shared her experience in an Instagram post Wednesday morning.
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Alongside a photo of sparkling powder blue lingerie, the fashionista wrote: “Victoria’s Secret Illy.”
“Little me is screaming,” Cozzani added. “thank you<3>I can’t say anything else. ”
Sampaio praised Victoria’s Secret’s inclusivity ahead of her time in the spotlight, telling PEOPLE, “This is a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
“Today, the Victoria’s Secret family showed the world on the runway that being transgender is just as exceptional and beautiful as anyone else,” the Brazilian model told People magazine. .
Tuesday’s fashion show served as a revival of the annual underwear extravaganza, which was last held in 2018.
The brand was at the center of various controversies in the late 2010s, at the same time as its dominance in the lingerie industry was waning.
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In 2018, fashion show executive producer Ed Razek used offensive and outdated language when asked by Vogue if Victoria’s Secret had considered featuring transgender models on the catwalk. I used it.
Razek told the magazine that trans models shouldn’t be featured because “the show is a fantasy.” “It’s a 42-minute entertainment special.” (He later apologized, saying, “To be clear, we absolutely intend to cast a transgender model in the show.”)
Two years later, VS’ former parent company, L Brands, was the subject of a New York Times exposé detailing a “culture of misogyny, bullying, and harassment” throughout the business.
At the same time, Victoria’s Secret’s status as a lingerie giant was challenged by emerging intimate apparel brands such as Rihanna’s Fenty x Savage and Kim Kardashian’s Skims.
Faced with declining market share and declining TV ratings for its runway specials, the company opened itself up to more diverse expressions after splitting from L Brands in 2021.
Sampaio began modeling for VS’ sister brand Pink in 2019, and Cosani appeared in the company’s Amazon Prime Video fashion show documentary “The Tour ’23.”
Razek resigned from Victoria’s Secret in 2019, days after Sampaio took over.
