Vice‘s web docu-series, Fashion Week Internationale, returns for its second season with a look at Rio Fashion Week. Of course, Rio de Janeiro is the hometown of trans supermodel Lea T, whose high cheekbones have graced the cover of Love, (locking lips with Kate Moss) and campaigns for Givenchy, where she was the muse of creative director Riccardo Tisci.
Lea even appeared on Oprah before that daytime talk show went quietly into that good night.
“I believe Brazil is famous because of the transsexuals,” designer Antonio Bizarro told host Charlet Duboc. “I don’t know, it’s really common here. The fashion market embraces the transgender model. We need this kind of model.” Bizarro goes on to call transsexual models the “next step in fashion.”
Duboc interviewed trans supermodel Carol Marra, who explained that, “being a woman doesn’t boil down to genitalia.” She added, “Unfortunately, people have a distorted view of transsexualism and associate it with marginality and prostitution.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
With the advent of the “world’s first transversal style magazine,” Candy, and the success of models like Lea, Carol, Korean sensation Choi Han-bit and Top Model alum Isis King, trans models have made big strides around the globe. But is it the “next step” as Antonio Bizzaaro claims, or just another passing trend?
Make sure to visit Vice to check out other episodes of Fashion Week Internationale. We especially recommend the episode on notoriously homophobic Nigeria.
ThePrincess
WHERES THE SECOND PART AND 3rd PART I WANNA SEE THE WHOLE THINGGG!!! PLEASEEE
Lester Brathwaite
@ThePrincess: Glad you liked it! They’re all on Vice’s website. Here’s the link to Part 2: http://www.vice.com/fashion-week-internationale/rio-fashion-week-part-2