The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show returned to television this week after a six-year hiatus and featured two male models who self-identify as women.
Of the runway models who participated in the fashion show in New York on Tuesday, two are men: Alex Consani and Valentina Sampaio. Consani wore a blue lingerie set with the signature “Angel Wings,” and Sampaio wore a black lingerie set with fishnet tights and a large black bow.
Consani, a California native, attended a “trans summer camp” at age 12 and afterwards decided to pursue modeling, according to previous interviews.
“I don’t know if they still do this, but at the time [the camp] had trans celebrities come visit, a lot of cool people, and it inspired me to be in their world because I was so enamoured by them,” Consani said in a June interview. “Being a 12-year-old trans girl and seeing these really gorgeous, successful trans women made me want to be a part of that lore.”
As a teenager, Consani signed with Slay Model Management, an agency that describes itself as “the premier management company representing transgender fashion talent.”
“My ultimate, ultimate goal is to make being a trans woman looked at as just being a woman. It’s less about their identity and more about the person. I don’t think any trans person enjoys the first facet of their life being [seen just as] trans,” Consani said in an interview. “I always say to people that I’m a woman first, a model second, and a trans person third. That order is really important to symbolize what it means to be a woman. I want to get to a point where white men in their sixties will know I’m trans and they’ll see me and [just] say: ‘That’s a woman.’”
Although Tuesday marked the first time Victoria’s Secret included self-described “transgender” models in its televised runway show, the company had previously hired and promoted men who “identify” as women. In 2021, the company replaced its supermodel “Angels” with the “VS Collective” that featured women selected for professional achievement, such as soccer player Megan Rapinoe, skier Eileen Gu, and actress Priyanka Chopra. The rebrand also included Sampaio.
“I always dreamed to be [in Victoria’s Secret] because I’m a woman and I deserve to be there,” Sampaio said in a 2020 interview after becoming the company’s first model who self-identifies as “transgender.”
In lieu of its fashion show in 2023, Victoria’s Secret released a documentary titled Victoria’s Secret: The Tour ’23 on Prime Video that followed artists in the fashion industry. The documentary featured several self-described “transgender” individuals, including Consani, artist Ebun Sodipo, DJ “Honey Dijon,” and model Ceval Omar.
Ed Razek, former chief marketing officer of VS’s parent company, faced criticism in 2018 for suggesting that “transsexuals” should not be included in the runway show.
“Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should,” Razek said in an interview with Vogue. “Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy, It’s a 42-minute entertainment special.”
Razek issued an apology shortly after the Vogue interview was published.
“My remark regarding the inclusion of transgender models in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show came across as insensitive. I apologize,” Razek said in a statement. “To be clear, we absolutely would cast a transgender model for the show. We’ve had transgender models come to castings. . . And like many others, they didn’t make it. . . But it was never about gender. I admire and respect their journey to embrace who they really are.”
Razek stepped down from his position in 2019 shortly after Victoria’s Secret hired Sampaio as a model.
After the runway show on Tuesday, Sampaio released a statement thanking Victoria’s Secret.
“This moment is one I will cherish for a lifetime,” Sampaio said on social media. “The Victoria’s Secret family has shown the world that being trans is just as exceptional and beautiful as anyone else on that runway. Inclusivity is crucial to the world we’re building, and I’m honored to walk with pride, love, and the hope of inspiring the next generation. Thank you, Victoria’s Secret, for making a long-held dream come true.”
Other models included in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Tuesday were Alessandra Ambrosio, Tyra Banks, Adriana Lima, Kate Moss, Behati Prinsloo, and Jasmine Tookes. The musical guests included Lisa from the South Korean girl-group Blackpink, Cher, and South African singer Tyla.