Victoria’s Secret Makes History Hiring First Openly Transgender Model

(PHOTO CREDIT: DOMINIQUE CHARRIAU/GETTY IMAGES)

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It seems Victoria’s Secret is already making some big changes to its company after having to possibly cancel its annual fashion show. Earlier this week was announced that the lingerie company had hired its first transgender model.

Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio has made history by posing for a catalog photoshoot, her agent, Erio Zanon, said on Monday. According to Zanon, Sampaio, whose 22 years-old, had been hired for catalog work for VS Pink, the company’s athletic line.

“Never stop dreaming,” Sampaio wrote on Instagram after it was announced that she had signed on to model for the company.

The company has recently been faced with major criticism for its lack of diversity and inclusion, so it’s no surprise that Sampaio’s hiring has been met with worldwide praise. “Wow finally!” actress Laverne Cox, who has spoken publicly about her own breakthroughs as a transgender actress, wrote on Sampaio’s Instagram post.

Sampaio’s new role as Victoria’s Secret model comes just after Ed Razek, the chief marketing officer of the lingerie company’s parent organization, L Brands, spoke to Vogue and expressed a lack of interest in casting transgender models. He later apologized for the remark after heavy backlash.