When I was growing up in Britain in the 1990s, it frequently eluded me why so much of the general public and mainstream media frequently derided fashion as “ridiculous,” “unwearable,” and “frivolous.” I recall watching a toe-curlingly uncomfortable tape from a British chat show from 1988 where Vivienne Westwood appeared as a guest and showed off some of her more “avant-garde” designs, which were incredibly subdued in comparison to today’s collections. The audience laughed throughout the entire segment, doubling over in their chairs as each model entered the stage. Westwood is recognised as one of the most innovative and well-known designers of our time.I didn’t start to connect the connections about what I had been drawn to throughout all these years until I was in my teens and watched the 1992 documentary Paris Is Burning. A young Black transgender woman named Octavia St Laurent was reflecting on what fashion meant to her: an industry of potential, imagination, and purpose in a world where there was little to no room for a woman of her experience to exist authentically. She was the first Black trans woman I had ever seen on screen. She found solace and a way for her ambitions to come true in the fashion industry. It was Octavia’s dual visibility and comprehension of fashion, which went beyond serving as a vehicle for her aspirations to be seen by others.
There is more to fashion than escape or imagination. Fashion can figuratively serve as a window into the future we desire and a window through which others can observe realities, viewpoints, and identities that are frequently ignored or purposefully disregarded. For me, fashion serves as a reminder of the potential that exists for all of us, particularly those of us who have experienced marginalisation. Fashion, one of the only industries with a majority of women and gay men in decision-making positions, may assist us in making sense of our emotions, expressing ourselves in ways that go beyond the constraints of human language, and showing our support for those who are the victims of injustice.
Never before have we witnessed an industry with such a rich diversity, both on the runway and backstage, in front of and behind the camera. We have seen firsthand how quickly change can occur when marginalised individuals are in charge of periodicals, fashion companies, and organisations that inspire people to dream and inform them that fashion offers a platform for those ambitions to materialise.Fashion shapes us just as much as we form it, therefore it’s important to make sure that everyone is represented and that sensitive topics aren’t avoided, toned down, or censored because fashion is for everyone. Fashion can help to change deeply held beliefs, broaden perceptions of what constitutes beauty, and ignite discussions that have the potential to reduce social stigma and increase visibility by highlighting the experiences of marginalised groups. Fashion does more than just foretell and shape trends.
When I initially began, I could count on one hand the number of transsexual models who had achieved mainstream success. Currently, Hunter Schafer represents Prada, Hari Nef represents JW Anderson, Indya Moore represents Tommy Hilfiger and Saint Laurent, MJ Rodriguez and Jari Jones represents Calvin Klein, Aaron Rose Philip represents Moschino, Dominique Jackson and Barbie Swaee represents Mugler, Lea T represents Desigual, and Teddy Quinlivan represents Paco Rabanne. Valentina Sampaio for Victoria’s Secret and Kai-Isaiah Jamal for Louis Vuitton.
The list is always increasing and diversifying to acknowledge the intersections of body form and size, ability, and racial diversity as well as to push beyond the confines of a cis-normative culture. With the help of fashion, we can now shine as well as emerge from the shadows. It has given us a platform to comment on when many other sectors have failed to do so.
I was given the amazing opportunity to demonstrate how diverse our community is and how broad, varied, and unrestricted gender expression can be when I was selected as one of British Vogue’s contributing editors and placed on the cover of the August 2022 issue alongside four other openly transgender models. To me, it was a clear message that labels only matter if they matter to the person holding it in front of them. It was a really gratifying occasion for me since I got the chance to transmit the transcendent baton that Octavia St Laurent extended to me when I so urgently needed it, in addition to the fact that it was one of my wildest fantasies realised. It was my turn to remind young Black transgender females and anybody else who had felt invisible to occupy space that their aspirations mattered, were powerful, and that when realised, they inspired others to pursue similar goals.
