Leyna Bloom wants to be the first trans woman to be a Victoria’s Secret model
(Photo: @
Leyna Bloom has started a mission to become the first trans woman to be a Victoria’s Secret model.
Bloom has been tipped as one to watch since New York Fashion Week in 2017, and shot to international fame and broke records after she became the first trans model of colour to model for Vogue India.
The model, who has worked professionally since 2014, called the experience ‘a dream come true’ and said that she hoped that she could work with other international fashion brands.
Earlier this week Bloom tweeted two photos of herself with the caption, “trying to be the first trans model of colour [to] walk a Victoria’s Secret fashion show #TransIsBeautiful.”
(Photo: @LeynaBloom)
The tweet then went viral, gaining nearly 30,000 retweets and over 94,000 likes.
During her career, Bloom has been critical of the lack of diversity in mainstream fashion brands and shows.
She recently tweeted that brands like Victoria’s Secret had improvements to make regarding the inclusion of women of colour in modelling.
“All these women of colour in the VS fashion show that’s amazing right. But they still have way more white girls. It’s like every time they added a woman of colour they added another white girl,” she said.
Bloom in Vogue India (Photo: Vogue)
Speaking to Yahoo Lifestyle, the New York-based model said that modelling with the brand was one of her dreams.
“It’s always been a dream for me, like so many others, not just trans — POC, all women, and some men even.”
Related: Naomi Campbell says she “wouldn’t be a model if it wasn’t for gay men”
Bloom continued, saying that while her career had flourished, it was still ‘a gamble’ for brands to support a trans woman of colour.
She said: “Work has been steady. There’s definitely been a gamble with other bigger brands to take on a trans model of colour.
“I don’t know why it’s so hard for them to want to give us a shot. Then again, nothing happens overnight.”
(Photo: @ / Twitter)
Bloom went on to praise the modelling industry for what it could be, saying that by including her, Victoria’s Secret would be able to ‘set the tone’ for trans women in the industry.
“This is a platform that glorifies femininity. I always felt in my most natural state I am heavenly. For my trans sisters, regardless of colour, this will be a moment for us all.
“[Victoria’s Secret] will have the power to set the tone, and that would be the biggest leap up to date. Can you imagine what that would do for our world?”
Bloom continued: “We all have unique stories; we are just different, and we have every right to be. We just want to be represented, and maybe they will want to represent us too.”
PinkNews has contacted Victoria’s Secret for comment.
