She’s graced the catwalks of Gucci and Louis Vuitton and lent her face to some of the biggest names in beauty, and now trans model Teddy Quinlivan can add Chanel Beauty to her stellar CV.
The first openly transgender model to be cast in a Chanel beauty campaign, it marks a watershed moment for the fashion house.
She used Instagram to express her delight at her latest gig, explaining: "My whole life has been a fight. From being bullied at school consistently, kids threatening to kill me and going into graphic detail how they were going to do it, my own father beating me and calling me a fagot, to receiving industry blowback after speaking publicly about being sexually assaulted on the job... This was a victory that made all of that sh*t worth it.
"I had walked two shows for Chanel while I was living in stealth (stealth meaning I hadn’t made my trans identity public yet) and when I came out I knew I’d stop working with some brands, I thought I’d never work with the iconic house of Chanel ever again. But here I am in Chanel Beauty Advertising. I am the first openly trans person to work for the house of Chanel, and I am deeply humbled and proud to represent my community."
Quinlivan, who came out as transgender in 2017, isn’t the only trans model taking the fashion industry by storm. The model joins the likes of Valentina Sampaio, Andreja Pejić, and Brazilian model Lea T, who have all become figureheads for the industry.
