Valentina Sampaio Becomes First Trans Victoria’s Secret Model
After many calls for better representation, the brand finally finds its first trans model in Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio.
It’s official! Victoria’s Secret has hired its first trans model in its history. Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio is the one with the honor, adding herself to the company’s prestigious lineup of models. After a few speculation-fueling Instagram posts from the model, it was her agent, Erio Zanon, who confirmed Sampaio’s hire. In a later video, the model posed from her Victoria’s Secret Pink shoot in Long Island with the caption “Never stop dreaming genteee.” The campaign is set to be released in mid-August.
Fellow Victoria’s Secret models and trans celebrities have expressed their excitement behind Valentina’s inclusion. It’s definitely a step in the right direction, knowing that Victoria’s Secret has a history of issues with diversity. In 2018, Ed Razek, the CMO for Victoria’s Secret’s parent company, told Vogue “transsexuals” wouldn’t be included in the company’s broadcasted fashion show. “Why not? Because the show is a fantasy,” said Razek. He later apologized after the company’s CEO stepped down and the company’s negative trajectory continued. Victoria’s Secret has been struggling financially for some time now, unable to appeal to consumers and their changing demands. As a result, it announced its fashion show (the same one it planned to exclude models like Sampaio from) was indefinitely canceled, citing a need for “branding and new ways to do the show.”
With Valentina Sampaio now in its arsenal of models, Victoria’s Secret might be learning.