London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 10, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
Street justice isn’t pretty but how else do you deal with this kind of insanity? Sometimes someone needs to standup and say something
Armenia and Azerbaijan sign U.S.-brokered accord at White House outlining transit link via southern Armenia
Barcelona Resolves Captaincy Issue with Marc-André ter Stegen
US Justice Department Seeks Release of Epstein and Maxwell Grand Jury Exhibits Amid Legal and Victim Challenges
Trump Urges Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan to Resign Over Alleged Chinese Business Ties
Scotland’s First Minister Meets Trump Amid Visit Highlighting Whisky Tariffs, Gaza Crisis and Heritage Links
Trump Administration Increases Reward for Arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro to Fifty Million Dollars
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
×