Shay Neary just made history in the modeling world. She’s the lead for a campaign for the plus-size brand Coverstory, and she’s also a trans woman.
This is Neary’s first major campaign since she started modeling, and she’s also the first plus-size trans woman with her own modeling campaign. The brand itself is also doing its part for representation in the industry, as they had been wanting to cast trans models for a while.
For Neary, being seen right now is vital to keeping the modeling industry diverse, and to showing people around the world that the lives of transgender people are diverse as well.
“We have to all be seen. Not just some of us, not just ones who fit the transgender bill. Not just the streamline passable woman, or the plastic Kim [Kardashian] wannabe,” Neary said. “We all have value and integrity. We deserve to be seen in mainstream media… Our lives have purpose.”
What Neary’s campaign highlights and what Neary speaks to directly is the fact that diversity in fashion involving trans models doesn’t end simply with casting a slew of trans models, but trans models of color or trans models above a size 6, like Neary.
Just like it’s important to continue bringing diversity into straight-size, cis modeling and plus-size modeling, it’s important to continue to diversify the trans modeling industry as well.
“Hopefully we start to see mixed runways, not just of race, but size and stature,” Neary said. “Gender orientations, fluid individuals, non-conforming folks, all put into shows and ads. We ALL wear clothing, we all require things for different seasons, day/night, and life events. A range of price, a range of style, and actual design. Our lives are constantly happening, we need fashion and representation that moves like chiffon, not like burlap.”
This is amazing. Congratulations, Shay!