By Priya Elan
the Guardian
July 14, 2020
The model Valentina Sampaio has made history by becoming the first openly transgender model to be featured in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue.
The 23-year-old Brazilian has been selected as a model for the issue that will be released on 21 July.
In 2017, Sampaio became the first openly trans model to appear on the cover of Vogue Paris and in 2019, she became the first openly trans model hired by Victoria’s Secret for its Pink line. It came a year after the company’s chief marketing officer Ed Razek told Vogue that trans people would not be cast in the lingerie brand’s fashion shows “because the show is a fantasy.” Razek quit the company in August of last year.