Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 06, 2025

10 Transgender Figures Making Fashion History

10 Transgender Figures Making Fashion History

Kicking off Transgender Awareness Week, L'OFFICIEL celebrates the trans models and designers driving fashion forward.

Fashion is constantly evolving, and in recent years, that's meant becoming a more inclusive space. While transgender figures like April Ashley and Tracey "Africa" Norman paved the way in the 20th century, now a number of trans models, designers, and activists are making waves in the fashion industry. In honor of Transgender Awareness Week, L'OFFICIEL looks at 10 of today's most influential trans fashion figures.

Pierre Davis


            

LA-based Pierre Davis was the first Black trans designer to ever debut a collection at New York Fashion Week. With a well-deserved title, Davis made headlines for her inclusive brand No Sesso, which translates to “no sex/no gender.” With her avant-garde designs and creative vision, Davis focuses on celebrating the Black community and building an all-inclusive environment through fashion.

Teddy Quinlivan


            

After being discovered by Louis Vuitton designer Nicolas Ghesquière, Teddy Quinlivan became a high-profile model and advocate. After coming out in 2017, she became one of the influential models speaking out for trans advocacy and the #MeToo movement. A true trailblazer, Quinlivan became the first trans model to front a Chanel campaign last year.

Hunter Schafer


            

You may recognize Hunter Schafer from the runways of Marc Jacobs, Christian Dior, and Miu Miu, or, most notably, from HBO's Euphoria. Before the 20-year-old became a model and actress, however, Schafer was always a trans activist. As a high schooler, Schafer protested for trans rights, even suing North Carolina over the bathroom bill, which requires people to use public restrooms according to the gender they were assigned at birth.

Indya Moore


            

Bronx-native Indya Moore was named one of Time's most influential people in 2019, and for good reason. The nonbinary actor is outspoken about trans and gender-nonconforming representation and has made an impact in fashion and Hollywood. Before their role as Angel Evangelista on Pose, Moore modeled for Christian Dior and Gucci as a teenager, and more recently opened Jason Wu's socially-distanced Spring/Summer 2021 show, kicking off this September's virtual New York Fashion Week.

Chella Man


            

Chella Man is a prominent voice for both the deaf and LGBTQ+ communities. The 21-year-old is an activist and artist, who has shared his journey on social media, making YouTube videos about his life as a trans, deaf, genderqueer, and Chinese and Jewish person of color. As a model, he's been featured in Christian Cowan’s Spring/Summer 2021 collection and worked on campaigns for Calvin Klein and Gap.

Laith Ashley


            

One of the most notable male trans models today, Laith Ashley has a long list of high-profile modeling gigs, including a Calvin Klein underwear campaign. Before becoming a model, he worked as a social worker at an LGBT community health center. With a heart of gold, the model continues to be an inspiration for the trans community.

MiMi Tao


            

Despite training as a Buddhist monk, Mimi Tao always knew that lifestyle wasn’t for her. Training under former Thai model Rojjana “Yui” Phetkanha, Tao had her sights on becoming a supermodel in New York City. After debuting as Project Runway’s first trans model, Tao continues to walk fashion week runways and star in editorials.

Gogo Graham


        

Brooklyn resident and designer Gogo Graham handmakes clothes for the trans community. Before creating her own Depop shop, Graham designed for J-Pop bands and LGBT icon RuPaul. Now, she creates garments for trans women that are made with different body types in mind, and donates proceeds from specific pieces from her shop to organizations like For the Gworls, which supports Black trans communities.

Nathan Westling


            

Nathan Westling is no stranger to the runway. He made his debut for Marc Jacobs in 2013 as Natalie, and starred in campaigns for houses including Chanel, Versace, Prada, and Christian Dior. Since transitioning in 2019, Westling left New York for the sunny streets of Los Angeles as Nathan and went on pause from modeling, but has expressed that he'll likely return to fashion.

Isis King


            

Competing on America’s Next Top Model in 2008, Isis King was one of the few trans women to appear on TV. She first gained her modeling experience in the ballroom scene. After ANTM, she pursued acting and went on to be cast in Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us. King continues to work in fashion, modeling for Rihanna's Savage X Fenty, Christian Cowan, and other cutting-edge designers.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
×