Hari Nef Tells Vogue What It’s Like Being A Transgender Model

Vogue has been following models and other industry figures for Fashion Week with their “VogueFollows” series and recently caught up with model, actor, writer and transgender woman Hari Nef.

Related: Jeffrey Tambor Dedicates Lead Actor Emmy Win To The Trans Community

Fans of “Transparent” will recognize Nef from her role as Gittel, appearing in flashbacks during season two of the series as a transgender woman in 1930s Berlin.

“Who is Hari Nef? I don’t know,” Nef admits. “I’m still figuring that out every day.”

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“I feel like when you say my name to somebody who knows me, maybe my job comes to mind, like actor, model, I consider myself an activist, too, I’m a girl, I’m an American,” Nef continues.

She explains that she was an intern in the fashion industry who got noticed and before long found herself working in front of the scenes instead of behind them. It did not take long for her career to take off, becoming a nationally renown model in a short period of time.

Related: Photos: Andrew Rannells Celebrates Model Behavior Backstage At Jeffrey Fashion Cares

“My career would look so different if I hadn’t transitioned,” she reflects. “To be perfectly honest, my identity has given me a lot of early attention in my career that a lot of people have to work really hard for. Making the choice to live authentically, while it’s really hard all the time, it’s actually the best gift I’ve ever given myself.”

Nef is the first openly transgender model signed to IMG Models and just became Elle’s first transgender cover girl in the UK.

“It’s not easy, but I hope that I can be, not an example or a role model, but just a possibility model for people. Like, you can do this if you want,” she says.

Related: What It’s Like Being A Transgender Cop Coming Out To 1,800 Officers

Watch Nef’s “VogueFollows” video below.