Victoria's Secret hires its first transgender model
NEW YORK (KTVU, AP) - Victoria's Secret has hired its first openly transgender model, almost a year after the company was pressured to apologize for implying trans women are off brand.
22-year-old Brazilian model and actress Valentina Sampaio is now added to the list of faces to represent the lingerie and women's wear company.
Sampaio hinted of the news last week on Instagram, with a video post captioned, "Never stop dreaming," along with hashtags including "diversity," as well as "vspink," a reference to Victoria's Secret's Pink line.
This comes less than a year after one of the company's executives said transgender and plus size models should never be included in the company's annual fashion show.
Last November, in a Vogue interview, marketing officer Ed Razek of parent L Brands Inc. said that the annual Victoria’s Secret angels TV special would never include “transsexuals” because “the show is a fantasy.”
The comments triggered a wave of criticism which prompted Razek to apologize.
Sampaio was not hired for the show, and the company is rethinking having one at all after ratings sagged last time around.