Models Alex Consani and Valentina Sampaio made history Tuesday night as the first openly transgender women to strut down the runway during one of Victoria’s Secret’s iconic fashion shows.
The duo donned their wings as they joined the likes of VS favorites Tyra Banks, Gigi and Bella Hadid, and Adriana Lima at the show in New York City.
Cosani, who is repped by IMG Models, has become one of the most sought-after faces in the fashion scene in recent seasons. She gushed about her experience in an Instagram post Wednesday morning.
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Paired with photos of her sparkling powder blue lingerie, the fashionista wrote: “VICTORIA SECRET ILYYY.”
“Little me is screaming,” Cosani added. “I can’t even say anything other than thank you
Sampaio commended Victoria’s Secret for its inclusivity ahead of her time in the spotlight, telling People: “This moment is one I will cherish for a lifetime.”
“Today, the Victoria’s Secret family has shown the world that being trans is just as exceptional and beautiful as anyone else on that runway,” the Brazilian model told People.
Tuesday’s fashion show served as a rebirth for the once-annual underwear extravaganza, which last took place in 2018.
The brand was at the center of multiple controversies in the late 2010s, at the same time its dominance in the lingerie industry was waning.
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In 2018, the fashion show’s executive producer, Ed Razek, used offensive and outdated language when Vogue asked if Victoria’s Secret had considered featuring trans models on the catwalk.
Razek didn’t think trans models should be featured because “the show is a fantasy,” he told the magazine. “It’s a 42-minute entertainment special.” (He later apologized, saying: “To be clear, we would absolutely cast a transgender model for the show.”)
Two years later, VS’s former parent company, L Brands, was the subject of an exposé by The New York Times, which detailed a “culture of misogyny, bullying and harassment” throughout the business.
At the same time, Victoria’s Secret’s status as a lingerie juggernaut was challenged by emerging intimate apparel brands like Rihanna’s Fenty x Savage and Kim Kardashian’s Skims.
Facing a wilting market share and poor TV ratings for the runway special, the company opened itself up to more diverse representation after splitting from L Brands in 2021.
Sampaio began modeling for VS’s sister brand, Pink, in 2019, while Cosani was featured in the company’s Amazon Prime Video fashion show documentary “The Tour ’23.”
Razek resigned from Victoria’s Secret in 2019, days after Sampaio was hired.