It’s irrefutable that we have gone through — or some may say still going through — a transgender revolution in fashion. Season after season, more and more brands have increasingly cast transgender models with some casting directors saying it’s just an effort to “cast beautiful models,” while designers like Becca McCharen’s Chromat do it purposefully to weave a comprehensive idea of inclusion into the fabric of her brand. That said, this new visibility and inclusion brings with it another set of issues.
When you take a look at the most prominent transgender models, those booking the best jobs and opportunities, on the most consistent basis, there isn’t much diversity in terms of race. To be fair, for some brands like Chromat this isn’t the case, but for other efforts, the approach to not only casting transgender models of color but also in dealing with them could be more considered. Take the recent controversy with L’Oreal UK and Munroe Bergdorf. Essentially they hired her for her race but then fired her for speaking plainly about experiencing life while being of that same race. And while we need to come to terms with our expectations of people of color in the industry, to assist in that conversation, we should bring more of them to the table to speak.
As fashion week (and the following month) barrels on, here are 7 transgender models of color we are seeing or want to see getting way more work. Read more via Teen Vogue