Valentina Sampaio has become the first openly transgender model hired by Victoria's Secret nearly a year after a top company official was pressured to apologize for implying trans women are off brand.
Sampaio, a Brazilian, has been posting from behind the scenes of a VS Pink campaign to the delight of fans and celebrities, including Laverne Cox.
Cox who is also transgender, posted on one of Sampaio's photos: "Wow finally!"
The Brazilian model confirmed her partnership with the clothing giant on Instagram Thursday, posting a backstage snap of herself at a Victoria’s Secret photo shoot. Her caption included the brand’s Instagram handle for its “Pink” collection along with the hashtags #new, #vspink, #campaign, #representavidade (roughly translating to “representation” in English), #beauty, #diversity and #vstorm.
Last November, marketing officer Ed Razek of parent L Brands Inc., said in a Vogue interview that the annual Victoria's Secret angels TV special would never include "transsexuals" because "the show is a fantasy." He apologised after outrage ensued.
Sampaio was not hired for the show, and the company is rethinking having one at all after ratings sagged last time around.
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