Over the past few years, the Fashion industry has opened its doors to transgender models and the idea of gender fluidity (Remember Andreja Pejic‘s lingerie advertorial?). With the upsurge of transgender models owning the runway at last season’s New York Fashion Week, it’s about time a transgender modelling agency opens.
Bangkok-based Apple Models Management is set to open the world’s first transgender modelling agency in the heart of Los Angeles. Striving towards equality in treatment, director of the L.A. wing, Cecilio Asuncion, said in an interview with The Advocate “[o]ur strong commitment to developing them as successful models is never about quantifying or qualifying their gender.”
Known for his documentary What’s the T?, Asuncion hopes to bring transgender individuals into the spotlight and to help them achieve success to their fullest potential. Currently with only six models under the agency, Asuncion hopes to seek for more clients and fresh faces to represent.
With transgenders getting more positive exposure in the media and clinching international contracts such as Andreja Pejic for Make Up For Ever and Lea T for Redken, the launch of the modelling agency would be more than an empowering move towards positive acceptance in the public. After all, it is mainstream campaigns that Asunscion is after for his inspiring models.
Gladys Goh
Photo Credit: Apple Models
