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Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani made history at the Victoria's Secret fashion show on October 15, 2024, by becoming the first transgender women to walk the ramp for the lingerie brand. Valentina took to Instagram on October 17, 2024, to share a video of her ramp walk for Victoria's Secret and mentioned that it was a moment she'll cherish for a lifetime.
According to The Lions Management, Valentina Sampaio is an actor, activist, and supermodel who made headlines by appearing on the cover of Vogue Paris in 2017. Valentina's Vogue cover was titled "Transgender Beauty" and it became the first one by the magazine worldwide to ever feature a trans model.
Moreover, as per Metro Models, Valentina grew up in Aquiraz in North Eastern Brazil. Her mother was a school teacher and her father was a fisherman.
While Valentine was fired from her first modelling job in 2014 due to her transgender identity, she walked at the Sao Paulo Fashion Week in 2016 and was signed up by L'Oreal for a short film for International Women's Day, later becoming the brand ambassador for the company.
The trans model was also appointed the first transgender beauty ambassador for Armani Beauty and is an active partner to Pride Live and GLAAD (The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation).
She has been vocal about the challenges faced by the trans community and also fought in support of transgender rights in her home country.
"We always have been here" - Valentina Sampaio responds to critics
While Valentina Sampaio walking for Victoria's Secret made headlines as she was one of the first transwomen to walk the ramp for the brand, there was some criticism surrounding the same.
In an interview with TMZ dated October 18, 2024, Valentina responded to the critics stating:
“We are here. We always have been here. And we always will be here.”
Moreover, in the interview, Valentina also said that walking for Victoria's Secret "was a dream come true" and that it was a dream that many people said would be impossible for her to realise.
She said that the ramp walk makes her feel seen, accepted, and valued for who she is as a person and a professional.
Valentina also mentioned that her ramp walk for Victoria's Secret is a collective step forward in celebrating the rights of her community to "live and work with dignity".
In addition to her interview with TMZ, Valentina Sampaio took to Instagram on October 17, 2024, to comment on her ramp walk for the lingerie brand.
In her post, Valentina acknowledged that the Victoria's Secret family has shown the world "that being trans is just as exceptional and beautiful as anyone else on that runway."
She also mentioned:
"Inclusivity is crucial to the world we’re building, and I’m honored to walk with pride, love, and the hope of inspiring the next generation. Thank you, Victoria’s Secret, for making a long-held dream come true."
As per Metro Models, when Valentina Sampaio turned 8 her psychologist informed her parents that she was transgender but it wasn't till she reached the age of 12 that she started considering herself a woman.
Moreover, in most of her interviews, the model shared that her parents were supportive of her gender identity and her classmates accepted her identity as well.
